GIFT  OF 
SEELEY  W.  MUDD 

and 

GEORGE  I.  COCHRAN     MEYER  ELSASSER 
DR.  JOHN  R.  HAYNES    WILLIAM  L.  HONNOLD 
JAMES  R.  MARTIN         MRS.  JOSEPH  F.  SARTORI 

to  the 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
SOUTHERN  BRANCH 


JOHN  FISKE 


This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 


PS 

2949 

S88t    Stoughton 

The  tsar's  window. 


Southern  Branch 
of  the 

University  of  California 


AT 


NO    NAME    SERIES. 

"Is  THE  GENTLEMAN  ANONYMOUS?   Is  HE  A  GREAT  UNKNOWN?" 

DANIEL  DERONDA. 


THE  TSAR'S  WINDOW. 


"I  WISH,"  SAID  PETUR  TH.  G««AT,  "A  wmcow  UXJWNG 

EUROFB- " 


BOSTON: 
ROBERTS     BROTHERS. 

1889. 

93676 


Copyright,  1881, 
BY  ROBERTS  BROTHERS. 


/:•'.::  :  '.••"•'    V.S1'--^' 

*  •* 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  DORRIS'S  JOURNAL 7 

II.  LETTERS  FROM  THOMAS  AND  GRACE  CATHERWOOD  9 

III.  DORRIS'S  JOURNAL 14 

IV.  LETTERS  FROM  MR.  TREMAINE  AND  DORRIS  ROM- 

ILLY 19 

V.  DORRIS'S  JOURNAL 28 

VI.  SKATING  AND  RUSSIAN  OPERA 44 

VII.  STCHONKINE  DVOR 67 

.     VIII.  AN  IMPERIAL  CHRISTENING 90 

CO 

C\i        IX.  EPIPHANY 108 

X.  TROIKA  PARTIES 123 

XI.  AN  IMPERIAL  WEDDING 146 

44       XII.  A  COURT  BALL,  AND  THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED   .    .  160 
GO 

-rf     XIII.  MORE  REVELATIONS 179 

XIV.  MARIE  TALKE 192 

XV.  LE  BAL  DES  PALMIERS 213 

XVI.  THE  KREMLIN 231 

XVII.  THE  BLACK  WINTER 253 


THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 


CHAPTER   I. 

DORRIS'S     JOURNAL. 

November  27,  1877. 

TTOMESICKNESS,  chills,  cold,  fog;  outside  the 
-*-  -*-  window,  a  musky  atmosphere,  and  a  dull  roar 
which  tells  of  toiling  crowds  at  a  distance ;  inside,  a 
sombre  room,  furnished  in  ugly  chintz :  in  short,  Lon- 
don, —  London  in  November,  London  in  a  fog,  London 
seen  from  the  windows  of  a  hotel  in  its  darkest,  most 
unlovely  aspect.  For  lack  of  something  better  to  do, 
I  am  wondering  vaguely  where  all  the  smoke  and  fog 
come  from.  I  can  picture  it  rising  slowly  from  millions 
of  factories  and  breweries,  miles  upon  miles  of  palaces, 
and  acres  of  wretched  dwellings.  The  splendor  and 
the  squalor  are  alike  hidden  by  this  misty  curtain,  which 
settles  down  by  my  window,  and  on  my  spirits,  causing 
an  unpleasant  gloom.  How  the  passers-by  jostle  each 
other  with  their  umbrellas,  and  of  what  a  dull  color  are 
the  brick  houses  opposite !  I  take  a  look  at  the  room, 
and  the  prospect  is  still  more  depressing.  Voluminous 
cloth  curtains  obstruct  the  entrance  of  the  feeble  yellow 


8  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

light.  Dark,  chintz-covered  chairs,  and  a  tiny  fire  in 
the  microscopic  grate,  complete  the  gloomy  picture. 

My  sister  is  making  futile  efforts  to  warm  one  foot, 
and  to  keep  from  crying.  Poor  Grace !  She,  too,  is 
wondering  why  she  came,  and  she  thinks  I  am  so  inter- 
ested in  my  writing  that  I  do  not  notice  her. 

Of  course  Tom  considers  this  the  finest  and  most 
cheerful  hotel  in  the  city,  as  he  selected  it,  and  we  are 
staying  here.  After  the  complaints  which  I  made  this 
morning,  I  am  sure  that  Tom  would  pronounce  me  a 
sour  old  maid  if  I  belonged  to  another  family ;  but  as  I 
am  his  sister-in-law  he  thinks  kindly  of  me,  and  speaks 
of  me  as  "  Dear  Dorris !  A  little  quick,  you  know,  but 
the  kindest  and  the  cleverest  woman  in  the  world." 

I  never  shall  become  so  accustomed  to  Tom  as  not 
to  laugh  at  him.  What  a  blessing  that  there  is  some- 
thing to  laugh  at ! 

The  waiter  comes  in  to  know  what  we  will  order  for 
dinner.  He  looks  at  us  as  if  he  wished  to  say,  "  Poor 
creatures,  how  sorry  I  am  for  you !  After  all,  it  is  not 
your  fault  that  you  were  not  born  British  subjects." 

Why  did  it  occur  to  Grace  that  she  would  like  to 
spend  a  winter  in  St.  Petersburg?  Why  should  she 
have  cared  about  getting  acquainted  with  our  Russian 
kinsman  ?  Why  did  Tom  make  that  investment  which 
gave  him  the  money  for  this  trip  ?  Above  all,  what  evil 
genius  whispered  to  me  that  it  would  be  pleasant  to 
accompany  them  ?  To  these  questions  I  can  find  no 
answer,  and  I  am  going  to  drown  my  sorrows  in  crum- 
pets and  tea.  Those  articles,  at  least,  are  good  here. 


LETTERS. 


CHAPTER   II. 

LETTERS    FROM   THOMAS   AND   GRACE   CATHERWOOD. 

LONDON,  Nov.  27. 

"TV  /TY  DEAR  MOTHER,  —  I  have  not  quite  recov- 
-^  *  -^-  ered  my  land  legs,  and  Grace  is  completely  knocked 
up  after  our  long  sea-voyage.  We  were  eleven  days  on 
the  water,  and  though  it  is  humiliating  to  confess  it,  I 
was  absurdly  sick.  '  Grace  was  wretched  in  body  and 
mind,  and  Dorris  did  the  cheerfulness  for  the  whole 
party.  She  was  irrepressible,  and  for  two  days  was 
the  only  lady  at  table.  We  landed  yesterday  in  Liver- 
pool, and  came  directly  here,  where  we  have  foupd 
nothing  but  fog  and  rain.  Grace  has  succumbed  to  her 
miseries,  and  a  bad  attack  of  homesickness.  There 
is  a  suspicious  redness  about  her  eyes,  and  she  avoids 
looking  me  directly  in  the  face.  She  told  me  that  noth- 
ing would  induce  her  to  write  a  letter  to-day,  and  has 
retired  to  her  room  with  a  novel  to  cry  ;  but  I  shall  take 
her  on  to  Paris  in  a  day  or  two,  where  I  hope  Worth's 
influence  will  revive  her. 

I  don't  care  much  for  London  at  this  season,  myself, 
and  if  Grace  were  not  homesick,  I  might  be  so,  but  I  feel 
obliged  to  differ  from  my  wife.  It  ruins  women  to  agree 


10  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

with  them,  which  is  the  reason,  dear  mother,  I  have 
always  given  you  so  much  trouble. 

Dorris  has  set  her  energies  doggedly  to  work  to  study 
up  Russia,  and  is  buried  in  books  which  treat  of  that 
subject.  I  never  saw  such  a  woman  for  rinding  amuse- 
ment in  trifles,  and  for  picking  up  information  on  all 
occasions,  from  all  sorts  of  people.  I  only  hope  she 
will  not  set  up  for  an  intellectual  woman.  She  is  the 
best  traveller  I  ever  saw. 

This  note  will  inform  you  of  our  safe  arrival,  and  I 
dare  say  Grace  will  write  from  Paris,  and  tell  you  about 
the  fashions.  I  have  considered  your  feelings  in  writing 
this,  and  have  refrained  from  slang.  You  should  give 
me  a  great  deal  of  credit,  for  I  deserve  it. 

Grace  and  Dorris  send  love,  and  so  does 
Your  affectionate  son, 

THOMAS. 

PARIS,  Nov.  30. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER,  —  Tom  is  really  too  dreadful.  He 
was  prowling  all  over  the  city  last  night  until  after  twelve 
o'clock,  with  that  young  Mr.  Lane  whose  father  used  to 
be  in  love  with  Aunt  Emma.  I  wanted  him  to  write  to 
his  mother,  but  he  said  that  he  wrote  to  her  in  London, 
and  he  would  go  off.  Dorris  only  laughs  at  him,  but 
I  shall  use  my  influence  to  get  him  started  for  your 
country  next  week,  if  our  dresses  are  finished.  I  am 
longing  to  see  you,  and  your  dear  little  girl,  and  your 
Russian  home  ;  but  if  I  Jiave  my  gray  brocade  trimmed 
with  fringe,  it  will  take  two  days  longer,  for  the  fringe 


LETTERS.  II 

has  to  be  made,  and  Dorris  says  it  will  be  hideous  with- 
out the  fringe ;  so  our  departure  depends  on  my  decision 
about  that  dress.  These  dressmakers  are  really  too 
aggravating. 

We  had  such  a  rough  passage  across  the  channel  that 
I  was  very  glad  of  my  new  ulster  which  I  bought  in 
London.  Tom's  mother  sent  you  a  mince-pie,  for  she 
remembered  that  you  used  to  like  them.  I  took  it  out 
of  my  trunk  when  we  were  in  London,  to  make  room 
for  Karamsin's  History  of  Russia,  in  six  volumes,  which 
Dorris  bought,  and  packed  in  with  my  collars  and  cuffs, 
so  you  can  imagine  how  they  looked  when  we  got  here ! 
The  pie  was  done  up  in  brown  paper,  and  Tom  thought 
that  the  parcel  contained  his  slippers,  and  he  put  all  his 
boots  and  shoes  on  top  of  it ;  it  looks  now  as  if  some 
one  had  been  sitting  on  it,  but  I  shall  keep  it  for  you. 

Dorris  does  nothing  but  read,  and  she  says  she  does 
not  believe  that  old  Mr.  Lane  was  in  love  with  Aunt 
Emma.  Tom  is  so  much  handsomer  than  he  used  to 
be,  I  can  hardly  wait  for  you  to  see  him. 

Dorris  looks  as  young  as  I  do.  She  does  n't  seem  to 
care  about  getting  married  since  that  sad,  engagement 
of  hers,  though  that  was  eight  years  ago.  I  never  could 
understand  how  she  could  fall  in  love  with  a  man  who 
was  dying  of  consumption.  Tom  never  has  had  an  ill 
day  since  I  married  him  except  last  summer  when  he 
was  poisoned,  —  and  how  cross  he  was  ! 

Dorris  behaves  just  like  a  widow.  Some  widows  don't 
act  much  like  it,  though.  That  Mrs.  Miller  used  to 
flirt  awfully  with  Tom  before  he  was  engaged  to  me, 


12  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

but  he  nei>er  thought  she  was  pretty.  I  think  I  shall 
have  the  fringe  on  that  dress.  The  milliner  has  brought 
some  bonnets  for  me  to  look  at,  so  I  must  leave  my 
letter. 

Kiss  your  baby  for  me,  and  give  my  love  to  Nicolas. 
Your  loving  sister, 

GRACE  CATHERWOOD. 


BERLIN,  Dec.  8. 

DEAR  MOTHER,  —  We  are  on  our  way  to  the  North 
Pole,  having  left  the  fascinations  of  Paris  behind  us. 
I  made  a  discovery  in  that  city  which  is  worth  a  fortune 
to  me.  I  found  the  emperor  of  all  tailors,  a  man  per- 
fect in  his  profession,  which  is  a  thing  you  can  rarely 
see.  You  will  be  delighted  with  the  results  of  our 
acquaintance  when  you  behold  them. 

Grace  has  purchased  every  article  which  was  recom- 
mended to  her  to  keep  us  warm  on  the  journey,  and 
the  consequence  is,  my  big  black  bag  is  completely 
rilled  with  her  traps.  It  flew  open  at  the  Paris  station, 
and  startling  were  the  secrets  which  were  disclosed. 

We  are  all  delighted  at  the  prospect  of  getting  out  of 
this  beastly  hole.  We  have  been  in  a  chronic  state  of 
shivering  ever  since  we  landed  in  Europe,  and  Grace 
is  looking  forward  to  getting  warm  in  St.  Petersburg, 
for  she  says  that  Alice  never  mentions  the  cold  in  her 
letters,  so  she  does  not  believe  it  can  be  as  cold  as 
London  and  Paris.  Never  say  anything  more  to  me, 
my  dear  mother,  about  the  beauty  of  this  Berlin  street, 


LETTERS.  13 

"  Unter  den  Linden,"  or  some  such  name.  It  does  not 
compare  with  Fifth  Avenue.  The  "Linden"  is  the 
poorest  apology  for  a  tree  that  I  ever  beheld.  I  shall 
be  glad  to  take  my  departure  to-night,  and  as  I  have 
some  accounts  to  settle  with  the  courier,  I  must  leave 
you  now. 

Your  devoted  son, 

THOMAS. 


14  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 


CHAPTER   III. 

DORRIS'S     JOURNAL. 

December  9,  1877. 

SITTING  on  the  floor  in  a  low,  smoky  Russian  car, 
with  a  flickering  candle  over  my  head,  I  am  trying 
to  write  a  short  account  of  our  journey.  We  entered  the 
land  of  the  Tsar  about  three  hours  ago,  after  travel- 
ling twenty-four  hours  from  Berlin.  Tom  says  that  ours 
is  the  most  competent  courier  who  ever  took  charge 
of  a  party,  so  of  course  it  must  be  so.  He  is  tall  and 
dark,  and  looks  like  a  bandit.  He  is  known  as  Gustave, 
but  we  don't  often  dare  to  address  him  by  name.  He 
makes  profound  bows  whenever  he  enters  our  presence, 
and  is  continually  giving  us  titles  such  as  "  Excellency," 
"My  Lady,"  "Your  Grace,"  and  then  correcting  him- 
self, as  though  he  had  always  served  the  nobility,  and 
found  it  difficult  to  descend  to  common  mortals. 

He  is  not  travelling  with  us  ;  we  are  travelling  with 
him.  We  do  whatever  he  tells  us,  —  eat,  drink,  walk, 
and  sleep  when  he  thinks  best.  I  fancy  that  he  makes 
a  good  profit  on  everything,  even  on  the  suspicious-look- 
ing apples  which  he  brings  us ;  but  such  is  the  awe  with 
which  he  inspires  me  that  I  dare  not  remonstrate. 

We  left  Berlin  at  seven  o'clock  last  night.    When  I 


DORRI&S  JOURNAL.  15 

awoke  this  morning,  my  first  movement  was  to  peep  out 
of  the  window.  A  flat,  snowy  country  met  my  eyes,  and 
a  gray  sky.  The  day  has  been  monotonous.  Tom  has 
spent  his  time  poring  over  a  Russian  Grammar.  He 
knit  his  brows,  made  various  notes  in  a  new  memo- 
randum-book, and  appeared  to  be  studying  intently; 
but  when,  towards  night,  I  catechised  him,  I  could  not 
discover  that  his  knowledge  went  beyond  the  fact  that 
"Da"  meant  "Yes,"  and  "  Nyett "  was  Russian  for 
"  No." 

It  was  five  o'clock  this  afternoon  when  we  reached 
the  Russian  frontier.  Our  advent  had  been  telegraphed 
from  Berlin  by  some  one  whom  Tom  knows  there,  and 
we  received  every  attention.  A  polite  official  conducted 
us  to  the  restaurant,  where  we  had  supper.  The  excel- 
lent French  which  he  spoke  did  not  surprise  me.  I 
have  always  had  a  vague  idea  that  Russians  used  their 
own  language  very  little,  and  that  one  could  travel 
throughout  the  country  simply  with  a  knowledge  of 
French. 

The  waiter,  however,  did  not  understand  my  French 
orders,  and  Gustave's  powers  as  interpreter  were  called 
into  play.  Our  travelling  companions  wore  long,  dark 
cloaks,  and  fur  hats.  That  was  as  it  should  be.  But 
the  mild  air  was  all  wrong,  and  the  thermometer  was 
wrong  too.  It  should  be  colder  in  Russia. 

Grace  and  I  uttered  an  exclamation  of  horror  when 
we  entered  the  compartment  which  had  been  reserved 
for  us  in  the  Russian  train ;  for,  in  spite  of  the  mild 
temperature  outside,  the  little  stove  was  nearly  bursting: 


1 6  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

with  wood,  and  was  burning  fiercely.  We  struggled 
vainly  to  open  the  double  window;  at  last  we  were 
obliged  to  call  the  guard,  who  remonstrated  earnestly 
with  us,  in  his  unintelligible  language,  before  he  could 
be  induced  to  comply  with  our  request.  When  the 
room  had  become  somewhat  cooler,  Grace  lay  down  on 
one  of  the  hard  seats,  with  a  travelling-bag  for  a  pillow, 
and,  covered  with  her  fur  cloak,  was  soon  sound  asleep. 
I  made  some  attempts  to  look  out  of  the  window,  but 
finding  the  night  dark  and  the  landscape  invisible,  I 
give  my  attention  to  my  journal.  The  candle  shows 
signs  of  going  out  altogether,  so  I  will  follow  Grace's 
example  and  try  to  sleep. 

ST.  PETERSBURG,  Dec.  13. 

The  rest  of  that  night  journey  was  inexpressibly 
weird.  Being  fond  of  novelty,  I  was  pleased  with  it, 
though  my  bones  ached  sadly  from  my  hard  bed.  We 
lumbered  on  slowly  and  painfully.  I  felt  sorry  for  the 
engine,  it  seemed  to  labor  so.  Every  now  and  then  we 
stopped  to  rest.  A  mysterious,  funereal  bell  tinkled 
every  five  seconds  during  the  stoppage,  and  strange 
voices  kept  up  a  continual  jabber  in  an  unknown  tongue 
under  the  window.  Then  on  we  plodded  through  the 
darkness,  and  it  seemed  as  if  daylight  would  never 
come. 

I  had  fallen  into  a  light  doze,  when  our  door  was 
unceremoniously  opened,  and  a  face  framed  in  a  long, 
dark  beard  was  thrust  in.  The  hair  was  parted  in  the 
middle  and  fell  on  the  shoulders,  and  the  head  was 


DORRIS'S  JOURNAL.  I/ 

surmounted  by  a  round  cap,  ornamented  about  the  rim 
with  the  eyes  of  peacock-feathers.  I  gazed  at  this  curi- 
ous figure  inquiringly,  and  he  ejaculated  something 
which  sounded  like  "  Day."  Grace  plied  him  with  ques- 
tions in  German,  and  then  in  French  ;  but  he  continued 
to  make  unintelligible  sounds,  and  finally  retreated  for 
a  moment,  returning  with  some  tumblers  filled  with 
steaming  tea,  and  some  delicious  bread.  We  blessed 
the  intruder  in  all  the  languages  at  our  command ;  and 
never  was  anything  so  refreshing  to  me  as  that  tea ! 
Surely,  one  must  come  to  Russia  to  have  tea  served  in 
the  middle  of  the  night. 

We  were  so  delighted  with  our  midnight  meal  that 
whenever  the  tinkling  of  that  goblin  bell  awoke  us 
during  the  night,  we  put  our  heads  out  of  the  window 
and  ordered  tea  in  every  language  which  we  knew  ;  but 
as  Russian  was  not  included  in  our  repertory,  we  some- 
times got  cigarettes,  or  more  wood  for  the  stove,  instead 
of  the  article  we  asked  for. 

The  long  night  dragged  itself  away  at  last,  and  I 
opened  my  eyes  upon  the  most  desolate  tract  of  country 
I  have  ever  beheld.  Flat  and  uncultivated,  marshy  in 
many  parts,  no  trees  except  stunted  pines  and  birches, 
and  not  a  hill  or  a  mountain.  Far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  on  either  side,  the  same  dreary  expanse.  Snow 
everywhere,  of  course,  even  in  the  air, —  not  coming 
down  in  great  flakes,  as  in  dear  old  New  England,  but 
sifting  through  the  air  like  a  mist,  and  falling  almost 
imperceptibly. 

We  passed  few  villages,  and  no  great  cities.  I  caught 
2 


1 8  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

some  glimpses  of  peasants,  in  long  sheepskin  coats, 
high  felt  boots,  and  fur  caps.  This  seems  to  be  their 
out-of-door  costume.  In  some  poor  little  huts  with  no 
visible  windows  appeared  startled  figures  in  bright- 
colored  shirts  belted  in  over  the  trousers,  which  were 
full,  and  tucked  into  high  boots.  They  all  had  long 
beards,  and  hair  parted  in  the  middle. 

All  day  there  were  endless  stoppages  at  stations  where 
there  seemed  to  be  no  passengers  to  get  on  or  off,  and 
always  that  melancholy  bell-ringing. 

It  was  after  dark  when  a  forest  of  lights  in  the  dis- 
tance proclaimed  the  end  of  our  journey  to  be  near. 
I  was  half-dazed  when  I  tumbled  out  of  the  cars  and 
into  the  arms  of  Nicolas,  who  was  waiting  to  welcome 
us.  He  received  us  most  cordially,  kissing  Tom  on 
both  cheeks,  which  so  embarrassed  the  poor  fellow  that 
he  looked  uncomfortable  for  some  time  after.  My 
Russian  brother-in-law  is  a  very  handsome  man.  In 
the  six  years  which  have  elapsed  since  he  carried  Alice 
away  with  him,  I  have  had  time  to  forget  how  good- 
looking  he  was.  I  was  surprised  to  find  Alice  changed 
so  little.  She  has  grown  somewhat  stouter  and  a  trifle 
more  self-conscious,  but  beyond  that  she  is  the  same 
happy  little  woman  as  of  old. 

We  found  her  at  the  Hotel  de  1'  Europe  when  we  got 
there,  after  what  seemed  a  very  long  drive  through 
streets  filled  with  clumsy  horse-cars  and  funny  little 
sleighs. 

Our  tongues  ran  busily  during  dinner ;  and  when  Alice 
and  her  husband  took  their  departure,  I  was  glad  to  go 
to  bed. 


LETTERS.  19 


CHAPTER   IV. 

LETTERS   FROM   MR.   TREMAINE   AND   DORRIS   ROMILLY. 

NEW  YORK,  November,  1877. 

TV/TV  DEAR  JUDITH,  —  I  am  rather  hurried  this 
•*•»•*•  morning,  as  I  wish  this  letter  to  go  by  to-day's 
steamer.  Mrs.  Tremaine  tells  me  that  you  are  twenty 
years  old.  I  think  that  you  ought  not  to  remain  longer 
at  school.  I  have  written  Fraulein  Lu'tke  to  that  effect, 
and  have  arranged  matters  so  that  you  will  have  no 
difficulty  about  leaving.  You  can  come  home  to  us 
•with  Mrs.  Emmons,  who  will  sail  on  the  8th  of  January ; 
or  I  have  a  proposition  to  make  which  will  perhaps  be 
more  welcome  to  you. 

Your  cousins,  as  you  know,  have  gone  to  Russia  to 
spend  some  months.  They  would  be  glad  to  have  you 
with  them.  Dorris  spoke  to  me  about  it  before  she 
left  America,  and  I  have  no  doubt  Fraulein  Lu'tke  can 
find  some  one  to  accompany  you  from  Vienna  to  St. 
Petersburg,  should  you  decide  to  go.  My  advice  to  you 
is  not  to  lose  this  opportunity  of  seeing  Russian  life. 
Your  Cousin  Alice  married  well.  Count  Piloff  belongs 
to  one  of  the  best  Russian  families,  and  is  in  a  position 
to  introduce  you  into  the  court  society.  I  should  like 
you  to  become  better  acquainted  with  Dorris.  as  your 


20  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

father  and  hers  were  more  warmly  attached  than  most 
brothers.  Dorris  is  a  woman  whose  friendship  will  be 
beneficial  to  you,  and  I  know  they  will  all  try  to  make 
you  happy.  If  you  are  not  contented,  of  course  you 
can  come  home  when  an  opportunity  occurs. 

I  have  no  time  to  write  more  to-day.  Hoping  to  hear 
immediately  when  you  have  decided  which  course  to 
pursue,  I  am 

Your  affectionate  guardian, 

JOHN  TREMAINE. 


NEW  YORK,  Nov.  30,  1877. 

MY  DEAR  DORRIS,  —  I  am  sorely  perplexed.  I  have 
received  a  letter  from  a  young  man  in  Vienna,  —  Roger 
Fisk  by  name,  —  who  is  studying  medicine  abroad. 
Since  his  sojourn  in  Europe  he  has  met  Judith,  and 
claims  to  have  an  undying  love  for  her.  He  is  twenty- 
six  years  of  age,  has  no  money,  and  cannot  marry  for 
years.  He  says  that  Judith  returns  his  affection,  but 
will  give  no  promise  without  my  sanction. 

I  have  written  to  him,  of  course.  I  told  him  that  my 
ward  was  too  young  to  enter  into  any  engagement ;  that 
in  another  year  she  would  be  her  own  mistress,  but  that, 
meantime,  I  could  not  consent  to  her  making  him  any 
promise. 

I  am  at  a  loss  to  conceive  how  these  mutual  confes- 
sions were  made,  when  I  supposed  Judith  to  be  in  a 
strict  boarding-school.  I  am  shocked  at  this  revelation, 
and  cannot  think  of  keeping  her  longer  in  such  guardian- 


LETTERS.  21 


ship.  I  have  decided,  after  much  reflection,  to  accept 
your  proposition,  and  let  Judith  join  you  in  St.  Peters- 
burg. She  is  old  enough  to  leave  school  now,  but  I 
have  no  doubt  she  needs  a  watchful  eye  over  her.  I 
wish  you  would  do  what  you  can  for  her,  and  write  me 
your  ideas  on  the  subject.  I  shall  feel  at  ease  when 
she  is  twenty-one,  and  my  responsibility  will  be  at  an 
end. 

When  you  reply  to  this  letter,  —  which  I  hope  will  be 
soon,  —  tell  me  what  you  think  of  the  Tsar.  I  have  a 
great  sympathy  for  that  oppressed  Russian  nation,  and 
its  efforts  to  free  itself  from  the  yoke  which  presses  so 
heavily  upon  it.  If  you  have  witnessed  any  ceremony 
in  which  the  Tsar  took  part,  I  should  be  glad  to  have 
you  describe  it  to  me. 

With  love  from  Mrs.  Tremaine  and  myself  for  you, 
your  sisters,  and  Thomas,  I  am 
Your  sincere  friend, 

JOHN  TREMAINE. 


December  14. 

MY  DEAR  MR.  TREMAINE,  —  I  can  only  admire  your 
ingenious  way  of  getting  rid  of  an  irksome  responsibility. 
Because  Judith  falls  in  love  with  a  young  man,  you  send 
her  to  us  to  be  cured.  I  shall  not  find  fault  with  you,  for 
your  ward  proves  to  be  a  delightful  companion ;  not  the 
foolish,  love-sick  girl  my  fancy  would  have  painted  her 
if  your  letter  had  arrived  before  she  did  ;  and  I  can  com- 
mend the  course  you  have  taken,  from  the  bottom  of  my 


22  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

heart.  We  are  a  most  harmonious  quartette.  Grace  is 
always  placid  and  happy.  Tom  is  the  perfection  of  a 
traveller,  never  objects  to  roughing  it,  laughs  at  his  own 
blunders,  —  and  he  makes  plenty  of  them,  —  and  never 
does  anything  to  make  himself  disagreeable  except 
thinking  all  the  shopkeepers  are  cheats,  and  carrying 
our  letters  about  in  his  pocket  for  an  indefinite  length 
of  time  ;  I  might  say  that  his  memory  is  his  weak  point. 
I  have  no  need  to  describe  myself  and  how  much  I  add 
to  the  party :  modesty  forbids.  Judith  is  a  light-hearted, 
happy  girl ;  she  stands  Tom's  teasing  and  my  scolding 
like  an  angel.  As  far  as  I  can  judge,  she  is  quite  con- 
tented, and  does  not  appear  to  regret  any  object  or 
person  in  Vienna.  We  have  a  very  sober,  staid  English- 
man here,  a  most  unimpressionable  creature,  but  he  has 
succumbed  to  Judith's  fascinations  and  is  a  willing 
victim.  You  need  have  no  fears  for  her.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  the  young  man  in  Vienna  is  as  easily  consoled. 
I  have  no  doubt  he  is ;  still,  I  don't  see  why  she  should 
not  marry  the  poor  fellow  if  she  wishes  to. 

Having  finished  the  business  part  of  my  letter,  I  will 
proceed  to  answer  your  other  questions.  I  have  seen 
the  Emperor  several  times  driving  in  a  small  sledge, 
entirely  unattended,  and  wrapped  up  to  the  nose  in  furs. 
Once  a  day  he  goes  to  the  Summer  Garden,  where  he 
walks  for  half  an  hour.  The  day  he  was  expected  to 
arrive  from  Moscow  last  week,  I  stationed  myself  at  the 
window  about  ten  o'clock.  The  street  from  the  station 
to  the  palace  was  lined  with  soldiers.  I  heard  loud 
cheering,  and  suddenly  an  open  carriage  swept  by  like 


LETTERS.  23 


the  wind.  It  contained  the  Emperor  and  the  Tsare- 
vitch  ;  there  was  no  one  on  the  box  except  the  coach- 
man. They  were  followed  by  about  two  hundred 
officers  on  horseback,  but  they  went  by  so  rapidly  that 
I  only  got  a  confused  idea  of  brass  helmets,  waving 
feathers,  Cossack  caps,  and  long  spears.  Then  came 
several  carriages  from  the  palace,  coachmen  and  foot- 
men in  the  imperial  livery  of  scarlet  and  gold,  and  then 
many  scattered  horsemen.  The  Tsar  went  at  once  to 
the  church  and  thence  to  the  palace.  Perhaps  you  are 
astonished  to  hear  me  say  they  went  in  carriages. 
Before  I  came  here  I  never  imagined  a  carriage  in  St. 
Petersburg  —  certainly  not  in  December.  But  the  truth 
is,  the  snow,  which  is  constantly  falling,  is  not  allowed  to 
accumulate ;  it  is  continually  being  taken  up  and  carted 
off  to  the  Neva,  so  that  it  is  not  more  than  an  inch  or 
two  deep  in  the  street,  and  the  sidewalks  are  compara- 
tively clear.  What  a  contrast  to  New  York !  One  can 
always  use  a  carriage  here  with  comfort. 

I  think  there  is  but  one  opinion  about  the  Tsar,  as 
far  as  he  is  personally  concerned.  Even  his  enemies 
acknowledge  that  it  is  only  the  power  he  represents 
which  they  wish  to  destroy.  It  seems  to  me  no  one 
could  look  at  this  Emperor,  and  not  acknowledge  that, 
if  expression  indicates  anything  of  character,  he  is  a 
good  and  conscientious  man.  His  position  is  by  no 
means  an  enviable  one,  nor  should  I  care  to  be  one  of 
his  ministers.  They  receive  threatening  letters  all  the 
time,  I  hear ;  and  the  Chief  of  the  Third  Section  — 
appointed  in  the  place  of  General  Mezenzeff,  who  was 


24  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

stabbed  in  the  streets  last  summer  —  has  been  warned 
that  the  life  of  his  only  little  girl  will  be  attempted. 

Such  is  the  respectable  and  humane  course  which 
these  Nihilists,  with  whom  you  pretend  to  sympathize, 
take  to  attain  their  ends.  There  must  be  many  good 
Russians  who  desire  a  more  liberal  form  of  government. 
Their  cause  would  be  mine  were  I  a  Russian  subject, 
but  I  have  no  sympathy  with  the  Nihilists,  or  with  the 
principles  which  they  avow. 

Last  week  there  was  a  grand  review  of  all  the  troops 
about  Petersburg  (Russians  drop  the  "  St.")  on  the 
Champs  de  Mars,  a  large  open  field  near  the  river.  We 
went  with  Nicolas  and  Alice,  to  witness  it  from  the 
windows  of  the  Oldenburg  Palace.  The  Prince  of  Ol- 
denburg is  related  in  some  way  to  the  imperial  family, 
but  I  have  not  yet  studied  the  "  Almanach  de  Gotha  " 
sufficiently  to  be  quite  sure  of  these  relationships. 

From  the  window  in  which  we  were  placed,  we  could 
overlook  the  whole  field,  where  the  soldiers  had  been 
drawn  up  since  eleven  o'clock,  although  the  review  was 
not  to  begin  until  twelve.  There  had  been  a  slight  fall 
of  snow  the  day  before,  which  froze  during  the  night ; 
so  the  ground  was  very  slippery,  and  the  horses,  which 
had  not  been  newly  shod,  had  some  difficulty  in  keeping 
their  feet.  The  white  ground  and  the  gray  sky  made 
an  outlook  which  was  anything  but  cheerful.  Appar- 
ently the  men  found  it  cold  waiting,  and,  not  content  with 
jumping  up  and  down  to  warm  themselves,  they  chased 
each  other  about  and  performed  various  gymnastics. 

Punctually  at  noon,  cheers  resounded  along  the  lines  ; 


LETTERS.  2$ 

a  band  at  one  end  began  the  national  hymn,  which  was 
taken  up  by  the  other  bands  in  turn  ;  the  soldiers  fell 
into  place ;  and,  looking  intently  far  down  the  line  of  gray 
overcoats  which  covered  the  brilliant  uniforms  below  us, 
I  saw  a  crowd  of  horsemen  approaching :  as  they  came 
nearer  I  distinguished  the  Emperor  on  a  gray  horse, 
followed  by  his  brothers  and  sons,  and  his  staff,  which 
consisted  of  about  one  hundred  horsemen.  I  have  no 
doubt  there  were  many  famous  men  among  that  retinue. 

The  Tsar  was  closely  followed  by  the  two  Cossacks 
who  went  through  the  war  with  him,  and  always  accom- 
pany him  when  he  is  on  horseback. 

After  riding  past  the  troops  he  took  up  his  posi- 
tion on  one  side  of  the  field,  surrounded  by  his  generals 
and  military  attaches.  Here  he  remained  while  all  the 
regiments  filed  by. 

These  troops  did  good  service  during  the  war.  The 
Chasseurs  lost  one  man  out  of  three  in  the  fight  before 
Plevna. 

A  fat,  jolly-looking  priest,  in  a  purple  gown,  was 
pointed  out  to  me  as  having  crossed  the  Balkans  with 
the'  Simeonovsky  regiment,  last  Vinter.  On  one  occa- 
sion he  was  separated  from  the  others,  and  found  him- 
self surrounded  by  Turks.  Tucking  his  Icon  under  his 
left  arm,  he  picked  up  a  musket  from  the  ground  and 
laid  about  him  with  it,  braining  the  first  man  he  struck. 

At  the  head  of  the  cavalry  came  a  motley  crowd  of  a 
hundred  horsemen,  who  at  once  attracted  our  attention. 
They  carried  a  quantity  of  richly  decorated  weapons,  of 
various  antiquated  shapes,  and  no  two  were  dressed 


26  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

alike.  Steel  or  gilt  trappings  covered  the  horses,  each 
of  which  was  caparisoned  differently.  They  were  un- 
mistakably eastern,  and  somewhat  barbaric  in  their 
appearance.  This  was  the  Emperor's  bodyguard, 
composed  of  men  from  the  Caucasus.  Each  province  is 
required  to  furnish  a  certain  number;  each  man  pro- 
vides his  own  horse,  saddle,  uniform,  etc.,  hence  the 
curious  and  picturesque  variety.  They  are  extremely 
proud  of  their  position,  and  consider  themselves  the 
bulwarks  of  the  throne  and  indispensable  to  the  Tsar's 
comfort  and  safety. 

The  Don  Cossacks  were  equally  curious  and  interest- 
ing, sweeping  by  on  their  small  horses,  which  seem  a 
part  of  the  rider,  —  their  hats  jauntily  cocked  over  one 
ear,  with  long,  thin  feathers  sticking  up  in  the  air,  and 
their  short,  crooked  swords  in  attitude  of  attack.  They 
do  good  service  with  these  little  swords,  as  many  thou- 
sand flying  soldiers  in  Sulieman  Pacha's  army  last  win- 
ter could  testify. 

The  Cossack  is  an  utterly  free  and  independent  fellow. 
He  pays  no  taxes,  but  is  required  to  serve  in  the  army 
when  needed,  and  to  furnish  a  certain  number  of  perma- 
nent troops.  He  serves  without  pay,  and  "  keeps  him- 
self," which  means  that  he  takes  what  he  wants  wherever 
he  finds  it.  The  Tsarevitch  is  the  nominal  head,  or 
Hetman,  of  all  the  Cossacks.  Their  loyalty  is  unques- 
tioned, and  they  make  excellent  soldiers  for  some  pur- 
poses, though  each  one  is  fond  of  skirmishing  about  on 
his  own  account,  with  little  regard  as  to  where  his  regi- 
ment or  commander  may  be. 


LETTERS.  27 


I  looked  curiously  at  the  noses  of  the  Paulovsky  regi- 
ment. I  had  been  told  that  the  Emperor  Paul,  having 
a  snub  nose,  founded  this  regiment  for  men  with  a  sim- 
ilar misfortune,  but  I  failed  to  discover  anything  pecu- 
liar about  that  feature  in  the  present  troop. 

The  review  lasted  an  hour  and  was  a  very  interesting 
sight ;  but  I  will  spare  you  further  details,  and  write  no 
more  except  to  beg  you  to  get  over  your  sympathy  for 
the  Nihilists  as  soon  as  possible.  You  have  no  idea 
of  their  diabolical  plans  ;  the  information  you  get  from 
newspapers,  and  especially  from  England,  is  quite  un- 
trustworthy. Their  statements  are  colored  by  preju- 
dice, so  do  not  pin  your  faith  to  any  of  them.  You  see 
I  have  not  been  idle  since  I  came  to  Russia,  and  have 
really  picked  up  a  good  deal  of  information,  but  I  fear  I 
bore  every  one  I  meet  with  the  number  of  interrogation 
points  that  I  put  in  my  conversation. 

With  love  from  us  all,  believe  me 

Yours  sincerely, 

DORRIS   ROMILLY. 


28  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 


CHAPTER   V. 

DORRIS'S   JOURNAL. 

December  15. 

T  HAVE  always  thought  it  a  most  foolish  thing  to  keep 
-*•  a  journal,  —  a  habit  worthy  only  of  a  school-girl ;  yet 
here  I  am  writing  as  busily  in  mine  as  though  it  were  an 
act  of  remarkable  wisdom.  One  thing  I  can  say  in  its 
favor,  —  it  is  a  wonderful  safeguard.  Having  confided 
thoughts  and  feelings  to  this  faithful  friend,  I  long  for 
no  other  confidant,  and  my  most  insane  ideas  are  safe 
from  discovery  so  long  as  the  lock  of  my  book  remains 
good.  It  seems  to  me  that  in  the  future  I  shall  be  very 
glad  to  refresh  my  memory  by  reading  over  these  pages, 
and  perhaps  to  entertain  my  friends  with  extracts.  I 
am  writing  with  a  view  to  that.  All  things  considered, 
I  must  confess  that  my  prejudice  against  diaries  was  a 
foolish  one ;  I  dare  say  I  have  others  quite  as  foolish, 
but  if  time  only  cures  me  of  them  as  effectually  as  it 
has  of  this,  I  shall  be  satisfied. 

Many  things  have  happened  since  I  wrote  last.  Most 
important  of  all  is  Judith's  arrival.  Finding  that  she 
was  to  start  last  Monday  with  some  friends,  Alice  pro- 
posed that  Judith  should  stay  at  her  house  until  we  could 
decide  upon  an  apartment  and  get  settled.  So  Alice, 


DORRIS'S  JOURNAL.  29 

Tom,  and  Nicolas  met  her  at  the  station,  while  Grace 
and  I  waited  impatiently  in  Alice's  library,  where  the 
lamp  with  its  crimson  shade  made  us  both  look  flushed 
and  anxious. 

"  I  am  almost  sorry  we  promised  to  stay  and  dine," 
said  Grace.  "  Judith  will  probably  be  tired ;  I  am  sure 
we  were  when  we  got  here.  How  badly  this  dress 
wears  ! "  stroking  her  silk  sleeve  thoughtfully. 

I  was  engrossed  in  imagining  what  my  cousin  would 
be  like,  and  whether  she  would  be  a  pleasant  addition 
to  our  party  or  otherwise. 

"  Tom  tells  me,"  Grace  went  on  after  a  pause,  "  that 
he  has  found  at  last  an  apartment  which  will  exactly 
suit  us." 

""  Did  he  look  at  it  himself  ? "  I  asked.  "  You  know  he 
thought  the  palace,  with  three  drawing-rooms,  library, 
dining-room,  breakfast-room,  banqueting-hall,  ball-room, 
and  two  kitchens,  was  just  the  thing  for  us." 

We  both  laughed,  and  Grace  responded.  "  Yes,  and 
such  bedrooms  that  none  of  us  would  have  consented 
to  sleep  in  them  !  I  wonder  why  all  the  houses  we  have 
examined  have  such  miserable  bedrooms.  They  don't 
look  as  if  they  had  been  built  for  sleeping-rooms  at  all, 
but  are  simply  used  for  that  purpose  because  one  must 
sleep  somewhere." 

"  Those  were  old  houses.  Alice  says  there  are  com- 
fortable bedrooms  in  the  modern  ones." 

"  I  wish  we  could  find  a  modern  one  then,"  sighed 
Grace.  "  It  is  such  a  stupid  way  they  have  of  pasting 
up  a  bit  of  blank  white  paper  in  the  window,  when 


30  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

rooms  are  to  be  let.  I  know  we  don't  discover  half  the 
vacant  ones  that  are  to  be  had.  Why  don't  they  adver- 
tise in  large  letters,  as  we  do  at  home  ?  And  this  fashion 
of  living  on  the  second  floor  is  very  uncomfortable :  it 
is  tiresome  to  go  up  stairs  so  often.  I  am  sure,"  she 
went  on,  without  awaiting  a  response  from  me,  "  that 
the  servants  will  cheat  us  abominably  when  we  begin 
housekeeping." 

"Grace!  Grace!"  I  cried,  "don't  paint  everything 
in  such  dark  colors." 

She  smiled  faintly,  and  left  me  to  my  own  thoughts  for 
a  few  minutes.  Then  I  heard  a  carriage  stop,  heard  the 
Suisse  (I  wonder  why  he  is  called  the  Suisse  when  he 
is  always  a  Russian)  run  out,  open  the  front  door,  and 
ring  the  bell  which  summons  the  servant  to  the  door  of 
Alice's  apartment.  Presently  they  were  in  the  room, 
and  Grace  and  I  were  kissing  Judith,  and  declaring  she 
had  changed  so  ihat  we  should  not  have  recognized 
her. 

She  is  changed,  but  for  the  better  in  every  respect.  I 
had  plenty  of  time  to  observe  her  at  dinner,  and  I  think 
she  is  the  loveliest  girl  that  I  ever  saw.  I  wonder  what 
it  is  that  constitutes  her  charm.  Her  figure  is  round 
and  graceful,  but  not  remarkable  ;  her  head  is  well 
shaped,  but  the  masses  of  yellow  hair  are  too  heavy  for 
it ;  her  eyes  are  dark-blue,  but  not  particularly  large  or 
brilliant ;  her  black  lashes  are  neither  long  nor  curling ; 
and  her  nose  certainly  turns  up.  The  only  undeniable 
beauties  she  has  are  her  teeth  and  her  complexion,  which 
is  more  like  a  rose-leaf  than  any  skin  I  ever  saw.  Perhaps 


DORRIS'S  JOURNAL.  31 

fascinating  would  express  her  more  correctly  than  beau- 
tiful. When  she  laughs  she  is  irresistible.  I  fell  in 
love  with  her  that  first  evening,  and  could  do  nothing 
but  sit  and  look  at  her. 

In  the  morning  Grace  and  I  insisted  upon  taking  a 
drive  in  one  of  the  peculiar  sledges  which  are  always 
standing  about  the  hotel  entrance.  The  sleigh,  like  all 
Russian  sleighs,  was  very  low,  —  the  seat  nearly  on  the 
ground,  and  extremely  narrow,  so  that  when  a  lady  and 
gentleman  drive  together  the  latter  is  expected  to  put  his 
arm  round  his  companion  to  keep  her  from  falling  out. 
The  driver  is  crowded  into  a  tiny  seat  in  front,  and  one  of 
his  feet,  enveloped  in  a  long  white  felt  boot,  swings  grace- 
fully outside,  whether  to  serve  as  a  brake,  or  because 
there  is  not  room  for  it  inside,  I  have  been  unable  to 
discover.  These  drivers  all  have  the  traditional  long 
beard  and  hair.  They  wear  dark-blue  coats,  plaited 
into  the  waist,  lined  with  sheepskin,  and  buttoned  up 
on  one  side.  Besides  the  sheepskin  lining,  many  of  the 
pelisses  are  wadded  ;  this  gives,  even  to  the  thinnest 
of  the  wearers,  a  rotund  appearance.  They  also  wear 
large  round  caps,  pulled  down  on  the  back  of  their  neck, 
covering  the  ears,  and  trimmed  with  bands  of  fur.  The 
light  felt  boots,  of  which  I  have  spoken,  complete  the 
costume  of  the  istvostchik. 

The  morning  was  crisp  and  cold,  and  the  sunlight 
rather  pale.  We  crowded  behind  our  fat  old  istvostchik, 
and  were  fastened  in  by  the  robe,  which  was  buckled  to 
the  back  of  the  seat.  The  seats  have  no  sides ;  and, 
while  the  obliging  hotel  porter  was  buckling  us  in,  and 


32  THE   TSAWS    WINDOW. 

giving  directions  to  our  driver,  Grace  began  to  exclaim, 
"  I  cannot  go  !  I  shall  fall  out ! "  The  hotel  clerk,  the 
porter,  Tom,  and  two  or  three  waiters  stood  there,  try- 
ing to  reassure  her ;  and  the  horse,  impatient  to  start, 
kept  giving  little  jumps,  at  each  repetition  of  which  she 
renewed  her  outcries. 

The  seat  was  very  narrow  :  I  was  not  without  certain 
misgivings  myself.  At  last  our  fears  were  somewhat 
calmed  ;  and,  with  many  injunctions  from  us  to  the  por- 
ter, and  from  him  to  the  driver,  to  go  slowly  and  be  care- 
ful of  the  corners,  we  started,  having  learned  the  Russian 
for  "  Go  home." 

It  seemed  a  perilous  situation  when  we  reached  the 
Nevsky  Prospect,  where  sledges  were  flying  past  us  in 
all  directions.  Grace  hung  tightly  to  the  driver's  belt, 
calling  out  at  intervals,  "  Prenez  garde  !  "  which,  as  the 
fellow  understood  no  language  but  his  own,  caused  him 
to  grin,  shake  his  head,  and  continue.  He  was  very  care- 
ful, and  did  not  remonstrate  with  Grace,  though  I  thought 
she  would  end  by  stopping  his  breath  altogether,  she 
clutched  his  belt  so  wildly. 

We  turned  into  the  Quay,  which  is  the  street  where 
Alice  lives.  It  was  bitterly  cold  ;  the  corners  were  icy, 
and  we  slipped  about  uncomfortably.  Our  sledge  was  so 
low  that  the  horses'  mouths  behind  us  were  unpleasantly 
near  our  ears ;  but,  fortunately,  the  Russian  animals  are 
kind,  and  the  horses  seldom  bite. 

I  should  not  have  been  surprised  to  have  been  struck 
in  the  back  with  a  pole,  at  any  time.  I  saw  that  most  of 
the  people  who  were  riding  in  sledges  exercised  their 


DORRIS'S  JOURNAL.  33 

hands  continually,  —  now  catching  the  pole  of  another 
equipage  and  turning  it  aside,  now  pushing  away  the  face 
of  a  too  familiar  horse.  Tears  of  laughter  were  in  our 
eyes  when  we  reached  the  hotel  once  more,  and  dismissed 
our  istvostchik.  "I  prefer  to  have  the  whole  sledge  to 
myself  next  time,"  said  Grace. 

December  18. 

I  was  sitting  with  Judith  and  Alice  over  their  late 
breakfast  this  morning,  when  Grace  came  in,  full  of  ex- 
citement, and  begged  us  to  come  at  once  and  look  at  the 
apartment  which  Tom  had  almost  decided  to  take. 

"  I  have  ordered  the  sledge  at  two,"  said  Alice,  con- 
sulting her  watch.  "  It  is  now  twelve.  You  can  wait  very 
well  until  then." 

"  I  suppose  so,"  assented  Grace  reluctantly. 

So  we  went  into  the  library,  where  there  was  a  cheerful 
wood-fire. 

"  What  a  pretty  room  this  is  !  "  said  Judith.  "  I  like 
that  screen  so  much,"  pointing  to  one  of  carved  wood, 
with  ivy  and  other  vines  planted  beneath,  and  running 
over  it.  "  What  a  quantity  of  screens  you  have  in  this 
house  !  " 

"It  is  a  Russian  fashion,"  responded  Alice.  "  I  don't 
believe  there  is  a  bed  in  Russia  that  has  not  a  screen 
round  it." 

A  servant  appeared  at  the  door,  and  announced  some- 
thing, which  proved  to  be  a  visitor. 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Thurber  !  "  exclaimed  Alice,  as  a  tall,  very 
erect  Englishman  entered  the  room.  "  You  have  come 

3 


34  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

at  exactly  the  right  moment.  I  want  you  to  know  my 
sisters." 

He  bowed  stiffly  in  response  to  her  introduction.  He 
was  slightly  bald,  and  made  use  of  one  eye-glass.  I 
have  discovered  that  he  is  younger  than  he  looks  ;  that 
he  rarely  laughs,  and  when  he  does  there  is  a  peculiar 
wrinkle  in  his  nose,  which  I  have  learned  to  watch  for 
with  fresh  interest  every  time  anything  amusing  is  said. 
He  talks  well,  and  seems  to  be  quite  unprejudiced,  —  for 
an  Englishman.  Either  he  knows  a  great  deal  about 
most  subjects,  or  he  makes  a  good  show  of  a  small 
amount  of  knowledge.  I  have  seen  people  who  did 
that.  Certainly,  I  have  not  heard  Mr.  Thurber  con- 
fess his  ignorance  on  any  subject.  He  was  talking 
to  me  about  pictures,  when  Judith  quietly  seated  her- 
self in  a  window,  and  looked  out,  leaving  us  to  admire 
the  smooth  coils  of  yellow  hair  on  the  back  of  her 
head. 

Mr.  Thurber  looked  at  her  several  times,  as  if  he 
meant  to  speak  to  her.  Finally  he  said,  "  I  fear  you 
will  take  cold  in  that  window." 

Judith  smiled  at  him  sweetly  over  her  shoulder,  while 
she  answered,  "  I  never  take  cold." 

He  pursued  the  subject  as  if  she  had  said  nothing. 
"The  Russians  never  sit  near  a  window.  Will  you 
take  this  chair  ? "  drawing  forward  an  arm-chair  as  he 
spoke. 

Judith  changed  her  seat  with  apparent  reluctance. 
"  Let  us  go  somewhere,"  she  said.  "  You  and  Dorris 
have  certainly  discussed  Ruysdaal's  sky  to  your  hearts' 


DORRIS'S  JOURNAL.  35 

content.  Let  us  go  on  an  excursion.  I  have  seen  so 
few  of  the  sights  of  the  city." 

"  You  forget,"  Grace  suggested,  "  that  we  have  to  go 
to  the  new  apartment  when  the  sledge  comes." 

"  Why  don't  you  take  Mr.  Thurber  there  with  you  ? " 
asked  Alice.  "  He  knows  a  vast  deal  about  apart- 
ments," laughing.  "He  helped  us  to  select  this  one, 
four  years  ago.  Then  he  will  take  you  to  the  American 
store,  which  you  really  ought  to  see.  Won't  you,  Mr. 
Thurber  ? " 

Our  new  acquaintance  professed  himself  ready  to  be 
made  useful  or  agreeable  in  any  way,  and  we,  in  return, 
uttered  all  the  polite  speeches  which  were  necessary. 

"  But  why  should  we  go  to  the  American  shop  ? " 
I  remonstrated.  "  We  did  not  come  to  Russia  to  see 
American  things." 

"  It  will  remind  you  so  pleasantly  of  your  own  coun- 
try," Mr.  Thurber  exclaimed,  with  the  suspicion  of  a 
twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  care  to  be  reminded  of  my  own 
country." 

My  objections  were  unheeded,  however;  and  the 
sledge  being  announced  soon  after,  Grace  and  I  took 
the  back  seat,  Judith  and  our  English  friend  placed 
themselves  opposite,  the  footman  jumped  up  on  the 
step  behind,  and  we  started. 

It  took  us  but  a  few  minutes  to  reach  the  house  on 
the  Nevsky  Prospect,  where  we  found  Tom  looking 
proudly  around  him,  as  though  he  already  trwned  the 
property. 


36  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

It  seemed  odd  to  discuss  domestic  affairs  before 
an  entire  stranger  like  Mr.  Thurber,  but  it  certainly 
made  us  quickly  acquainted.  Tom  treated  him  as  if 
they  had  been  intimate  friends  for  years.  We  went 
slowly  through  the  apartment,  discovering  many  advan- 
tages over  other  houses  which  we  had  seen.  I  was 
particularly  pleased  with  two  tall  porcelain  stoves,  like 
Chinese  pagodas,  in  the  drawing-room. 

When  we  returned  to  the  ante-room,  Tom  pointed  out 
with  triumph  a  little  winding  staircase,  which  was  con- 
cealed from  view  by  a  curtain.  "  You  would  never  have 
discovered  that,  would  you  ?  " 

"  Not  unless  we  had  looked  behind  the  curtain,"  I 
replied. 

We  ascended  the  stairs,  and  found  two  large,  low 
rooms. 

"  These  bedrooms  will  do  for  us,"  said  Tom. 

"  I  never  will  sleep  up  in  this  lonely  spot/'  Grace 
cried,  with  a  shiver. 

I  added  my  protest.  "  I  prefer  the  room  down  stairs, 
which  opens  out  of  the  butler's  pantry." 

Judith,  however,  declared  that  nothing  would  please 
her  more  than  to  occupy  one  of  these. 

Tom  looked  despondent  for  a  moment ;  then  his  face 
brightened.  He  made  us  all  follow  him  to  the  ball- 
room down  stairs.  "  The  old  lady  who  lived  here  used 
this  for  her  bedroom,"  he  said,  looking  at  Grace  doubt- 
fully. The  room  is  forty  feet  long,  and  contains  a 
balcony  for  the  orchestra,  with  some  ghostly  white 
statues  in  it.  Grace  and  I  exchanged  a  glance  of 
amusement. 


DORRIS'S  JOURNAL.  37 

Tom  appealed  to  Mr.  Thurber,  showing  him  how,  by 
the  aid  of  screens  and  curtains,  one  could  make  quite  a 
pretty  series  of  rooms  out  of  it.  The  latter  assented, 
and  even  made  some  suggestions  himself;  and  Grace 
finally  said,  in  a  resigned  voice,  — 

"  As  we  cannot  do  any  better,  I  am  willing  to  endure 
some  discomforts  ;  but  I  warn  you,  Tom,  that  you  will 
have  to  search  that  balcony  every  night,  for  I  am  sure 
burglars  could  conceal  themselves  there." 

"  One  never  hears  of  burglars  here,"  Mr.  Thurber 
remarked  consolingly. 

"What  is  this?"  I  suddenly  exclaimed,  examining  a 
small  iron  door  in  the  wall.  "  A  safe,  perhaps."  They 
all  crowded  about  me,  and  gazed  at  the  mysterious 
door. 

"  Have  n't  you  seen  those  stoves  before  ? "  our  Eng- 
lish friend  inquired.  "  If  you  search  you  will  discover 
them  all  through  the  houses  here.  They  impart  warmth 
to  the  walls,  and  in  that  way  keep  the  temperature  even. 
The  system  of  heating  in  Russia  is  the  most  perfect  in 
the  world.  The  double  windows  are  put  in  and  sealed 
in  October,  and  fires  are  lighted  early  in  that  month, 
and  are  kept  burning  all  winter." 

"  I  see  that  you  can  tell  me  exactly  what  I  want  to 
know,"  said  Tom,  taking  our  new  friend  aside  and  talk- 
ing to  him  in  a  confidential  way,  while  Judith  tried  the 
piano,  which  was  standing  in  the  large  drawing-room, 
and  Grace  blew  the  dust  off  some  alabaster  vases. 

"  Do  you  suppose,"  said  she,  tapping  a  table  with  a 
lapis-lazuli  top,  "  that  all  these  ornaments  go  with  the 
furniture  ?  "  fj  O  f  * 


38  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  Tom  said  so." 

"  Well,"  drawing  a  long  breath,  "  I  wish  we  could 
find  a  furnished  house  to  rent  in  New  York  with  such 
beautiful  things  in  it,  and  so  reasonable  in  price." 

"  If  we  are  going  anywhere  else,"  I  ventured  meekly, 
"  we  had  better  start  at  once,  or  it  will  be  dark." 

Tom  refused  to  be  torn  away ;  but  the  rest  of  us  got 
into  the  sledge  again,  and  were  driven  rapidly  off. 

"  How  fat  the  coachmen  all  look,"  exclaimed  Judith  ; 
"  and  how  pretty  it  is  to  see  them  hold  the  bright-colored 
reins  at  arm's  length,  as  if  it  required  their  whole  strength 
to  keep  the  horses  from  running  away ! " 

"  It  is  a  singular  fact,"  said  Mr.  Thurber,  "  that, 
although  they  drive  at  such  a  break-neck  pace,  they 
seldom  use  a  whip." 

"That  is  true,"  I  cried.  "  I  have  never  seen  a  whip 
used  since  I  have  been  here." 

Judith  was  looking  over  my  head,  far  down  the  Nev- 
sky.  "  This  must  be  a  troika ! "  she  exclaimed,  and 
we  all  turned  to  look  at  the  curious  vehicle  which  was 
approaching  us. 

There  were  three  horses  abreast,  and  the  middle  one 
was  trotting  briskly,  while  the  others  galloped.  The 
harness  had  bells  hanging  to  it,  and  was  nearly  covered 
with  silver.  The  driver  wore  a  light-blue  velvet  cap, 
three-cornered  and  silver-trimmed ;  and  his  pelisse  was 
dark-blue,  with  silver  ornaments.  He  had  on  a  sky-blue 
belt,  and  the  reins  were  of  the  same  color.  The  sleigh, 
when  it  passed  us,  appeared  very  broad  ;  in  fact,  there 
were  three  people  sitting  comfortably  together  on  the 
back  seat. 


DORRIS'S  JOURNAL.  39 

"  Oh,  how  pretty,  and  how  comfortable  it  looks  !  " 

"  You  would  be  surprised  to  see  how  fast  those 
horses  go  when  they  get  into  the  country,"  said  Mr. 
Thurber.  "  This  is  a  troika  belonging  to  a  gentleman 
here  in*  the  city,  as  you  may  know  by  the  livery.  The 
public  troikas  are  driven  by  men  in  the  regular 
istvostchik's  dress." 

"  What  do  you  call  this  ? "  I  inquired,  as  we  turned 
out  of  the  Nevsky,  and  met  a  pair  of  horses  coming  by 
with  a  free,  airy  swing,  which  was  particularly  appropri- 
ate to  the  scene. 

"That  is  zpristiaka,"  said  our  new  friend.  One  horse 
was  trotting,  with  his  head  proudly  raised,  as  if  he  felt 
that  the  eyes  of  the  world  were  upon  him ;  the  other 
was  attached  by  a  single  rein  at  the  side,  and  cantered 
along,  with  his  neck  arched  and  his  head  turned  out. 
One  looked  proud  and  conscious,  the  other  playful  and 
independent.  Over  the  dasher  and  the  horses'  backs 
was  spread  a  colored  silk  netting,  the  heavy  tassels  at 
the  corners  dragging  in  the  snow,  as  we  see  them  on  all 
the  private  sledges  here. 

By  this  time  we  had  reached  the  Neva,  which  looked 
like  a  great  field  of  snow.  We  crossed  on  the  ice  to 
Vasili  Ostrof,  and  drew  up  at  the  Yankee  store.  It  was 
well  worth  a  visit,  we  decided,  if  only  to  mark  the  con- 
trast between  the  Tsar's  capital  and  a  New  England  vil- 
lage. One  side  of  the  room  was  filled  with  clocks, 
which  were  ticking  as  only  American  clocks  can  tick. 
These  clocks,  with  lead  pencils  and  canned  goods, 
seemed  to  be  the  chief  stock  in  trade.  Mr.  Thurber 


40  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

asked  the  proprietor,  in  his  stiffest  manner,  if  these 
were  all  "Yankee  notions." 

"  American  inventions,  sir,  —  yes,  certainly  ! "  was  the 
reply  ;  and  our  English  friend  subsided. 

We  took  our  departure,  promising  to  call  again  when 
we  began  housekeeping. 

During  the  day  we  had  the  most  glorious  sunshine 
I  ever  saw  ;  the  sky  was  as  blue  as  an  Italian  sky. 
As  we  crossed  the  river  on  our  return,  all  the  trees  in 
the  Summer  Garden  were  glistening  like  diamonds ; 
each  branch,  covered  with  ice,  stood  out  distinctly 
against  the  blue.  What  are  diamonds  and  turquoises, 
after  such  a  sight  as  that  ?  In  the  west  the  sun  was  set- 
ting in  a  flaming  glory  of  orange  and  red,  and  opposite 
the  moon  was  rising  in  calm  beauty.  We  held  our 
breath  while  we  looked.  It  lasted  only  a  few  minutes  : 
then  the  sun  dropped  below  the  horizon ;  and  shortly 
after  the  scene  became  so  gray  and  cold  that  we  shiv- 
ered, and  buried  our  chins  in  the  capacious  fur  collars 
about  our  necks.  The  collars,  caps,  and  beards  of  the 
istvostchiks  whom  we  met  were  white  with  frost,  and  all 
the  horses  looked  gray.  St.  Isaac's  golden  dome  was  the 
only  warm  spot  in  the  view. 

The  bells  began  to  ring  for  vespers,  as  we  drew  near 
home.  They  are  so  wonderfully  soft  and  sweet  that  one 
could  jmagine  they  were  ringing  in  heaven. 

St.  Isaac's  was  covered  with  frost,  except  the  dome. 
It  looked  smaller  to  me  than  it  is  by  actual  measure- 
ment. 

"  Jt  is  the  most  beautiful  church  in  the  world,"  mur- 


DORRIS'S  JOURNAL.  41 

mured  Mr.  Thurber,  as  we  stopped  at  one  corner  of  the 
great  square  which  surrounds  it,  and  enjoyed  the  full 
effect  of  the  building,  shining  with  its  many-colored  mar- 
bles, its  bronzes,  its  golden  dome  and  crosses,  and  its 
monoliths  of  smooth  Finland  granite.  These  great  col- 
umns at  each  entrance,  fifty-two  feet  high,  impress  me 
more  than  any  other  part  of  the  church. 

"  Have  you  been  inside  ?  "  asked  our  English  friend  ; 
and  when  we  answered  in  the  negative,  he  proposed  tak- 
ing a  look  at  it. 

We  ascended  the  lofty  steps,  passed  the  massive 
carved  bronze  doors,  and  I  found  myself  in  a  large,  bare 
space,  dimly  lighted  by  a  few  candles.  My  disappoint- 
ment was  almost  painful.  I  made  no  remark  ;  and,  as 
my  eyes  grew  more  accustomed  to  the  obscurity,  I  became 
conscious  of  various  prostrate  figures  about  me,  and 
some  women  holding  up  little  children  to  kiss  a  holy 
picture. 

"  That,  I  suppose,  is  an  icon,"  whispered  Judith,  point- 
ing to  a  picture  of  the  Virgin  and  Child,  —  the  head  and 
hands  painted,  the  dress  simulated  by  means  of  layers  of 
gold.  Flaming  jewels  were  hung  about  it,  and  the  whole 
was  covered  with  glass  and  enclosed  in  a  frame. 

"  Nearly  all  the  saints  in  the  calendar  are  represented 
here  by  icons,"  remarked  Mr.  Thurber.  "  These  can- 
dles are  kept  burning  before  them  always,  to  typify  the 
soul,  which  never  dies.  Have  you  not  seen  icons  in  the 
houses  ?  " 

Judith  shook  her  head.  "  I  have  been  in  no  house, 
except  Alice's." 


42  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  You  will  find  them  in  every  peasant's  hut,"  he  con- 
tinued ;  "  and  any  one  who  enters  salutes  the  icon  before 
any  member  of  the  family.  The  jewels  in  some  of 
these  are  magnificent,"  —  moving  nearer  to  one  as  he 
spoke. 

"  What  a  pity  it  is,"  I  exclaimed,  "  that  the  church  is 
not  better  lighted,  so  that  the  beauty  and  richness  of  it 
might  strike  the  observer  at  once,  instead  of  his  being 
obliged  to  search  for  them." 

For,  little  by  little,  new  glories  had  revealed  themselves 
to  me.  I  stood  under  the  great,  dusky  dome,  and  looked 
up  at  the  masses  of  gold,  bronze,  and  painting,  which 
at  first  were  merely  vague  shadows,  but  gradually  made 
themselves  visible,  though  the  painting  in  the  top,  by 
Bruloff,  was  lost  in  the  distance. 

A  man  in  uniform  came  up  to  us,  and  began  to  tell  us 
in  French  to  observe  the  iconastase  at  the  east  end.  If 
there  is  any  object  in  this  world  which  is  odious,  it  is  a 
commissionaire.  He  rattled  off  his  lesson,  telling  us  that 
the  bread  and  wine  were  kept  behind  that  screen  ;  and 
when  we  would  have  made  our  way  round  to  the  back  of 
it,  he  stopped  us  politely,  saying  that  women  were  not 
allowed  to  penetrate  into  that  sanctum  sanctorum.  So 
we  had  to  be  contented  with  a  survey  from  the  front. 
Doors  of  silver-gilt  arabesque,  in  open-work,  with  mosaic 
pictures,  and  columns  of  malachite  and  lapis-lazuli  com- 
pose the  lower  part.  Above  there  is  a  mass  of  jasper, 
agate,  porphyry,  bronze,  malachite,  and  painting. 

"  It  is  gorgeously  beautiful,"  I  sighed,  "  but  if  we 
could  only  have  seen  the  back  of  it ! " 


DORR  IS' S  JOURNAL.  43 

My  companions  laughed,  and  we  strolled  out  of  the 
church.  The  moonlight  lent  to  the  exterior  a  new  and 
gentler  beauty. 

Mr.  Thurber  bade  us  farewell,  saying  he  preferred  to 
walk  home.  He  disappeared  into  the  shadow,  and  we 
returned  to  our  hotel. 


44  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 


I 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SKATING  AND   RUSSIAN   OPERA. 

December  28. 

AM  twenty-five  years  old  to-day.  I  looked  at  my- 
self in  the  mirror  this  morning,  to  see  what  changes 
there  were  since  yesterday,  and  was  surprised  that 
"  twenty-five  "  was  not  written  on  my  features.  I  feel  as 
though  it  ought  to  be. 

I  suppose  it  would  be  the  proper  thing  to  moralize 
somewhat  on  my  birthday,  but  I  don't  feel  in  the  mood 
for  it.  I  must  have  the  blues  severely  before  I  can 
moralize.  And  I  have  too  many  things  to  write  about 
to-day. 

I  had  heard  so  much  of  Sacha  Novissilsky  that  I 
was  curious  to  see  him.  Alice  receives  every  Wednes- 
day evening,  and  it  was  there  that  I  met  him  first. 
Judith  has  met  him  often ;  but  I  have  been  so  interested 
of  late  in  making  our  apartment  comfortable  and  home- 
like that  I  have  shunned  society. 

After  talking  with  me  for  some  time,  on  Wednesday 
evening,  Sacha  said  seriously,  "  I  am  sure,  mademoiselle, 
that  you  have  guessed  my  secret." 

"  Perhaps  I  have,"  I  responded,  decidedly  mystified. 

He  continued,  "  I  have  never  loved  any  one  else,  and 
I  never  shall  care  for  another  as  I  do  for  her." 


SKATING  AND  RUSSIAN  OPERA.  45 

I  asked  myself  mentally  if  Sacha  could  possibly  refer 
to  me,  but  he  soon  undeceived  me. 

"  Do  you  think  she  could  ever  care  for  me  ?  "  with  a 
painfully  anxious  gaze. 

"  I  don't  know,"  I  answered,  rather  stupidly.  "  Why 
don't  you  ask  her  ? " 

"  I  have  so  little  to  offer  her,"  he  said.  "  If  she  gave 
me  a  ray  of  hope,  I  could  exist  on  that ;  but  I  fear  to 
ask  her,  she  is  so  beautiful  and  so  much  sought  after," 
turning  his  eyes  on  George  Piloff,  a  younger  brother  of 
Nicolas,  who  was  hovering  about  Judith. 

Now,  indeed,  light  broke  upon  my  bewildered  brain, 
and  I  ceased  to  regard  my  young  friend  as  a  candidate 
for  a  lunatic  asylum.  He  meant  Judith,  of  course. 
George  being  one  of  my  aversions,  I  shook  my  head, 
with  an  incredulous  smile,  and  said,  "  I  assure  you 
there  is  not  the  slightest  danger  of  your  having  Count 
Piloff  as  a  rival." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"  I  wonder  if  I  might  tell  you  a  secret  ?  " 

"  Of  course,"  I  exclaimed.  "  I  am  the  safest  person 
in  the  world  to  tell  a  secret  to."  (I  wonder  if  every 
one  has  this  same  idea  about  themselves.) 

Sacha  reflected  for  a  moment,  and  then  said  mourn- 
fully, "  I  am  afraid  it  would  not  do  to  tell  you.  But  you 
are  sure  that  your  cousin  does  not  care  for  him  ? "  nod- 
ding towards  George. 

"I  am  sure  of  nothing,"  I  answered  tartly,  determined 
not  to  ask  him  for  his  secret,  but  equally  determined  to 


46  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

learn  it  somehow.  "  Only  I  don't  see  any  reason  why 
she  should  care  for  him." 

Sacha  sighed,  "  He  is  a  gallant  fellow." 

"And  is  perfectly  aware  of  it,"  I  added  quickly. 
This  remark  seemed  to  give  Sacha  new  courage,  and  it 
was  with  quite  a  bright  smile  that  he  acceded  to  Alice's 
request  to  give  us  some  music. 

While  he  was  playing,  George  stationed  himself  by 
my  side.  Presently  he  whispered,  "  What  thoughts  are 
absorbing  you,  Miss  Romilly?  One  gets  no  attention 
from  you.  What  are  you  thinking  of  ?  " 

He  speaks  much  better  English  than  I  do,  and  has 
the  faintest  possible  accent. 

"  I  am  listening  to  the  music,"  I  returned  indiffer- 
ently. 

He  kept  silence  until  the  end  of  the  nocturne  ;  then, 
"  Are  you  fascinated  with  Novissilsky's  music  ? " 

"  Oh !  "  I  cried,  "  why  will  you  spoil  it  by  talk- 
ing ?  " 

"  Because  I  have  so  much  to  say  to  you,"  he  re- 
sponded eagerly.  "  There  is  a  question  which,  as  I 
know  your  word  may  be  depended  upon,  I  wish  to  ask 
you.  Believe  me,  it  is  not  mere  vulgar  curiosity  which 
prompts  me." 

"  I  will  believe  all  that  you  wish  me  to,"  I  interrupted 
lightly.  "  What  is  your  question  ? " 

He  looked  at  me  reproachfully.  "  You  seem  to  have 
but  little  appreciation  of  the  importance  of  this  matter. 
The  question  is  about  your  cousin." 

"  Judith  ?     I  know  so  little  about  her.     But  tell  me 


SKATING  AND  RUSSIAN   OPERA.  47 

what  you  would  ask  ?  If  she  is  wealthy  ?  Yes.  Young  ? 
Yes.  Amiable  ?  Yes.  What  else  ? " 

George  was  puzzled  and  annoyed,  as  his  face  plainly 
showed.  He  looked  indignant  for  an  instant.  "  I  am 
sure  you  have  more  earnestness  in  your  heart  than  the 
world  sees,"  looking  at  me  severely.  "  Otherwise,  you 
are  the  last  person  to  whom  I  would  have  come  in  my 
perplexity." 

There  was  a  subtile  flattery  in  this  which  mollified  me 
in  spite  of  myself.  So  I  turned  toward  him,  and  said 
seriously,  "  I  will  tell  you  if  I  can.  What  do  you  wish 
to  know  about  Judith  ? " 

For  a  moment  he  said  nothing ;  then,  looking  at  me 
firmly,  as  if  he  meant  to  read  my  answer  in  my  eyes,  he 
said,  "  Is  she  especially  interested  in  'any  one  ?  I  mean, 
is  she  in  love  ?  " 

I  gave  him  as  careless  a  glance  as  I  could  command 
before  I  answered.  I  looked  at  his  black  hair,  which  is 
plentifully  sprinkled  with  gray ;  at  his  high,  white  fore- 
head ;  let  my  eyes  wander  down  to  his  short,  dark 
beard,  parted,  and  brushed  away  from  his  chin  ;  ad- 
mired for  a  moment  the  clear  red  and  brown  of  his 
skin  ;  and  wondered  how  he  happened  to  have  a  straight 
nose,  it  was  so  different  from  his  brother's.  Then,  as 
his  cold  blue  eyes  did  not  move  from  my  face,  I  replied 
rather  hesitatingly,  "  Judith  has  never  made  a  confidant 
of  me.  I  can  tell  you  nothing  about  that." 

"  But  you  can  judge  somewhat.  Is  she  a  woman  who, 
having  given  her  word,  would  keep  it  ?  " 

I  looked  at  him  with  some  surprise,  I  suppose,  for  he 


48  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

said  appealingly,  "  Remember,  I  told  you  it  was  not 
idle  curiosity  which  prompted  me.  I  have  a  reason  for 
asking." 

"  Whatever  your  reason(may  be,"  I  responded  haugh- 
tily, "  you  can  hardly  expect  me  to  go  into  a  discussion 
of  my  cousin's  feelings  and  character  with  you." 

"  True,"  he  answered  most  humbly.  "  I  had  no  right 
to  ask  it,  and  I  see  my  presumption  now  most  clearly. 
I  should  not  have  come  to  you.  I  will  seek  my  informa- 
tion from  Miss  Judith  herself." 

Sacha,  having  finished  his  performance  on  the  piano, 
strolled  over  to  us  at  this  moment.  "  I  am  thinking," 
he  said  to  George,  "  of  the  contrast  between  this  scene 
and  the  one  which  was  before  us  a  year  ago." 

"  Yes ;  there  was  some  excitement  in  those  days," 
responded  the  other. 

"  Were  you  both  fighting  Turks  then  ? "  I  cried. 

"  I  was  fighting  a  fever,"  returned  George ;  "  but 
Sacha  here  was  showing  his  valor  in  the  face  of  the 
enemy." 

"  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  about  it,"  I  exclaimed, 
with  awakened  enthusiasm. 

George  laughed,  with  a  nonchalant  air.  "  The  pleas- 
antest  part  of  those  days  was  the  coming  home.  Eh, 
Sacha?" 

"  Yes,  indeed !  That  was  a  glorious  day  when  we 
entered  Petersburg.  Picture  it,  mademoiselle.  At  the 
gate  of  the  city  there  were  about  four  thousand  people. 
The  grand-dukes  and  their  staffs  met  us  there  ;  and  a 
kind  of  pavilion  had  been  erected,  where  all  the  grand- 


SKATING  AND    RUSSIAN  OPERA.  49 

duchesses  waited  for  us.  Most  of  the  spectators  were 
provided  with  flowers  and  cigarettes,  which  they  showered 
upon  us  as  we  passed.  A  procession  of  priests  met  us, 
and  a  Te  Deum  was  chanted  in  the  open  air,  after 
which  the  commanders  received  bread  and  salt.  As 
the  soldiers  went  on  through  the  city,  their  ranks  were 
broken,  and  women  and  children  were  mixed  up  with 
the  rows  of  bayonets.  Mothers  who  had  found  their 
sons,  girls  their  lovers,  and  children  their  fathers,  walked 
quietly  along,  some  of  them  sobbing  and  crying,  while 
the  bronzed  faces  of  many  of  the  men  were  working 
with  emotion,  and  there  was  hardly  a  dry  eye  among 
them.  An  officer  endeavored  to  put  the  intruders  out 
of  the  ranks,  but  the  Tsarevitch  forbade  it ;  so  the 
mothers  and  sisters  and  wives  marched  the  three  miles 
with  the  soldiers,  receiving  fresh  instalments  by  the  way; 
and  at  last  there  was  quite  a  crowd  of  families.  Many 
poor  fellows  had  been  buried  nameless  in  the  trenches, 
and  it  was  only  when  their  places  were  seen  to  be  filled 
by  others  that  their  friends  knew  that  they  would  never 
come  back." 

Sacha  positively  waxed  eloquent  as  he  related  this, 
and  I  felt  almost  angry  with  George  for  not  displaying 
more  emotion.  "You  were  there  too?"  I  asked  him. 

"  No ;  I  was  at  death's  door  with  the  fever,  for  the 
second  time." 

I  could  not  restrain  a  smile.  "You  seem  to  have 
passed  your  time  during  the  war  struggling  with  fevers." 

He  laughed  good-naturedly.  "  Very  true ;  and  ex- 
tremely unpleasant  it  was,  I  can  assure  you." 

4 


50  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  I  thoughtfully,  "  that  you  are  very 
fond  of  the  Emperor." 

"  We  adore  him,"  responded  Sacha. 

George  looked  at  me  searchingly  as  he  said,  "  Did 
you  doubt  it  ? " 

"  No,  I  can't  say  that  I  did." 

"Listen,  mademoiselle,"  broke  in  Sacha.  "Let  me 
tell  you  what  our  Emperor  did  last  winter." 

Tom  had  joined  our  group,  and  was  now  listening, 
with  his  eyes  fixed  on  Mr.  Novissilsky's  face. 

"  After  returning  from  the  seat  of  war,  it  was  his  cus- 
tom," —  went  on  the  young  man  earnestly,  aware  that  he 
had  an  audience,  and  doing  his  best  to  tell  the  story 
well, —  "  it  was  his  custom  to  visit  the  hospitals  daily, 
and  talk  with  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers.  One  day 
he  was  speaking  to  a  common  soldier,  whose  wound  was 
pronounced  fatal.  The  Emperor  asked  the  man  what 
he  could  do  for  him.  The  soldier  replied  that  he  should 
die  more  happily  if  his  monarch  were  with  him  at  his 
last  hour.  '  Your  wish  shall  be  gratified,'  said  the  Tsar. 
Before  his  departure  from  the  hospital,  he  gave  orders 
that  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night,  when  the  man 
should  be  dying,  he  was  to  be  notified.  The  same  com- 
mand was  given  at  the  palace.  The. man  lingered  for 
some  days,  but  at  last  the  image  of  death  appeared  to 
him,  and  a  messenger  was  despatched  to  the  palace 
about  two  o'clock  one  morning.  He  had  some  dif- 
ficulty in  penetrating  to  the  Tsar,  but  finally  succeeded. 
The  Emperor  hurried  to  the  soldier's  bedside,  and,  true 
to  his  promise,  stayed  by  him  to  the  last." 


SKATING  AND  RUSSIAN  OPERA.  51 

"  It  was  noble  of  him  !  "  I  exclaimed,  when  Sacha 
stopped  for  comment. 

"  I  could  tell  you  many  more  anecdotes  of  that  sort," 
continued  the  young  man  earnestly. 

"But  you  are  wanted  by  the  Countess  Piloff,"  said 
Mr.  Thurber's  voice  above  me. 

As  Sacha  hurried  away,  Tom  remarked  in  a  dazed 
tone,  "  When  that  fellow  gets  wound  up,  it  takes  a  good 
while  for  him  to  run  down.  His  tongue  has  been  going 
at  the  rate  of  a  mile  a  minute  ever  since  he  left  the 
piano." 

"  Tom,"  I  remonstrated,  "  how  can  you  speak  in  that 
way  ?  He  was  very  entertaining." 

"  He  would  drive  me  to  commit  suicide  at  the  end  of 
two  hours,"  persisted  Tom,  as  he  walked  away  from  me. 

George  had  disappeared,  and  Mr.  Thurber  took  the 
seat  which  he  had  vacated.  "  You  are  thoughtful  to- 
night, Miss  Dorris." 

"  You  are  the  second  person  who  has  told  me  so, 
Mr.  Chilton  Thurber,"  I  retorted  audaciously. 

"  I  must  beg  pardon,"  he  said,  "  but  really,  you  know, 
with  two  Miss  Romillys,  it  is  so  confusing." 

"  You  owe  me  no  apology.  On  the  contrary,  I  should 
thank  you,  for  this  is  the  first  time  you  have  ever  called 
me  by  my  name."  I  looked  at  him  with  a  smile  which 
was  meant  to  be  conciliatory. 

"I  believe  I  seldom  call  people  by  their  names;  but 
I  like  yours,  because  it  was  my  mother's.  I  have  never 
known  any  one  else  named  Dorris." 

His  voice  grew  quite  soft  as  he  pronounced  my  name : 


52  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

he  was  looking  absently  at  the  toe  of  one  shoe,  so  my 
sympathetic  glance  was  thrown  away  on  him.  He  went 
on  in  a  sort  of  soliloquy  :  — 

"  She  died  when  I  was  so  young  that  I  cannot  remem- 
ber her  at  all ;  but  I  have  always  loved  the  name,  and  I 
never  was  more  startled  than  when  I  heard  them  call  you 
by  it." 

I  looked  hard  at  my  companion.  He  was  the  same 
man,  apparently  ;  but  what  wonderful  change  had  come 
over  him  to  make  him  speak  in  such  a  sad,  soft  voice 
and  tell  me  about  his  mother  ?  I  did  not  know  what  to 
respond.  I  could  think  of  nothing  but  "Oh,"  or  "Yes," 
or  "  Indeed  ";  and  they  sounded  neither  sympathetic  nor 
appropriate.  So  I  kept  silent,  and  grew  quite  embar- 
rassed, as  Mr.  Thurber  did  not  seem  inclined  to  speak 
first.  Finally,  he  turned  his  gaze  away  from  the  toe  of 
his  shoe,  —  which,  by  the  by,  is  altogether  too  pointed 
for  any  reasonable  foot,  as  I  shall  tell  him  some  time 
when  we  are  conversing  on  more  ordinary  topics,  —  and, 
playing  with  my  fan  in  a  nervous  way,  he  remarked,  — 

"  Your  cousin  is  a  very  beautiful  woman." 

I  groaned  inwardly.  Was  I  to  be  confided  in  for  the 
third  time  that  night  ?  It  was  growing  monotonous,  and 
yet  it  was  funny,  and  I  smiled.  My  English  friend  saw 
the  smile.  He  colored  slightly,  and  started  up  from  his 
chair  ;  then  thought  better  of  it,  and  sat  down  again. 
I  turned  towards  him,  and  spoke  in  a  low,  earnest 
voice  :  — 

"  Mr.  Thurber,  the  only  reason  I  laughed  was  be- 
cause—  because  —  well,  I  have  heard  that  remark  so 


SKATING  AND    RUSSIAN   OPERA.  53 

many  times  this  evening.  She  is  beautiful,  and  I  am 
very  fond  of  her ;  so  you  must  forgive  me  for  smiling  at 
your  speech  "  (insinuatingly). 

"  I  am  glad  that  I  amuse  you,"  he  responded,  with  an 
air  of  offended  dignity. 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  too  much  flattered  by  the  fact/' 
said  I,  —  bent  now  on  provoking  him  to  the  utmost, — 
"  because  it  takes  very  little  to  amuse  me." 

"  So  I  see  "  (briefly). 

"  I  had  no  idea  that  Englishmen  were  so  easily  an- 
noyed," I  continued  mischievously.  "  I  have  always 
imagined  them  cold  and  impassive." 

Mr.  Thurber  struggled  for  his  ordinary  composure, 
and  almost  succeeded  in  grasping  it,  as  he  replied,  — 

"You  seem  to  have  had  some  odd  ideas  about  my 
countrymen.  Did  you  never  meet  any  Englishmen 
before  ?  " 

"  I  have  met  quantities  of  them  ;  but  I  never  knew 
any  of  them  well,  —  except  one,"  I  added  hesitatingly. 

"  What  did  you  think  of  him  ? " 

"  Not  much." 

"  Did  you  see  him  often  ?  Was  it  long  ago  ? "  (with 
a  touch  of  eagerness.) 

"  I  saw  him  every  day,  and  it  was  very  long  ago,  for 
it  was  when  I  was  a  young  girl." 

"  What  was  his  name  ?     Perhaps  I  know  the  family." 

"  I  don't  believe  you  do,"  said  I  carelessly,  "  unless  he 
used  to  make  shoes  for  you  before  he  left  England.  He 
is  an  old  cobbler,  who  lives  in  the  little  village  where  I 
spend  my  summers.  I  used  to  go  and  sit  with  him  at  his 


54  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

work,  and  he  told  me  quantities  of  stories  about  his 
country.  I  always  had  a  taste  for  low  associates,"  I 
added  calmly.  "  Alice  was  an  aristocrat  from  her 
babyhood,  but  I  was  always  a  vagabond." 

He  looked  somewhat  astonished  at  my  declaration, 
but  I  changed  the  subject  abruptly. 

"There  is  a  frightful  ordeal  for  you  to  pass  through  in 
a  few  minutes." 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  he  cried,  in  feigned  alarm. 

"The  baby  is  to  be  exhibited.  I  hear  her  coming 
now,  and  you  will  have  to  admire  her." 

"  That  is  nothing  very  frightful.  It  will  not  be  the 
first  time  I  have  done  it." 

"  How  difficult  it  is,"  I  continued,  "  to  induce  a  Rus- 
sian nurse  to  show  her  charge ;  and  if  you  say,  '  How 
pretty  the  child  is ! '  you  have  cast  an  evil  eye  on  it,  and 
all  sorts  of  charms  are  used  to  counteract  your  in- 
fluence." 

"  It  is  the  same  with  an  adult,"  responded  my  com- 
panion. "  If  you  tell  a  Russian  woman  that  she  is  looking 
well,  it  is  a  bad  omen." 

"Alice's  nurse  has  always  insisted  upon  it  that  the  child 
was  restless  and  unhappy  all  night  after  we  first  looked  at 
it;  and  I  believe  she  has  borne  us  a  grudge  ever  since." 

This  nurse,  I  must  state,  is  a  type  of  the  picturesque 
figures  which  one  is  constantly  coming  upon  in  the 
streets  here.  She  wears  the  Russian  peasant  cos- 
tume,—  a  short,  dark-blue  skirt,  with  bands  of  red 
and  white  and  black  braid  around  it ;  a  white  apron, 
coming  to  the  bottom  of  the  skirt,  embroidered  about  a 


SKATING  AND   RUSSIAN  OPERA.  55 

quarter  of  a  yard  deep,  with  red  and  blue  cotton ;  a  full 
white  waist ;  wide  sleeves,  embroidered  like  the  apron  ; 
a  blue  bodice  ;  several  strings  of  colored  beads  ;  and  a 
blue  or  red  tiara  on  the  head,  tied  under  the  hair  with 
broad  ribbons,  which  hang  far  down  the  back. 

January  7. 

Yesterday  was  the  Russian  Christmas ;  but,  as  we  had 
passed  the  25th  of  December  with  no  particular  re- 
joicing, we  did  not  feel  much  interest  in  celebrating  the 
foreign  festival. 

On  Christmas  Eve  —  night  before  last  —  we  went  to 
a  service  at  St.  Isaac's.  The  church  was  crowded,  and 
a  large  proportion  of  the  worshippers  were  men,  princi- 
pally peasants.  A  strong  odor  of  sheepskin  and  leather 
mingled  with  the  incense.  The  people  were  extremely 
devout,  bowing  and  crossing  themselves  frequently,  — 
sometimes  kneeling,  and  putting  their  foreheads  on 
the  cold  pavement.  There  was  an  expression  of  rapt 
devotion  on  those  peasant  faces  that  I  shall  not  soon 
forget. 

The  service  was  wonderfully  impressive  to  me.  It 
was  in  the  Slav  language,  which  of  course  I  don't  un- 
derstand, but  it  would  have  been  difficult  not  to  feel 
devout  while  listening  to  the  deep,  rich  tones  of  the 
deacon's  voice  and  the  sweet  responses  of  the  choir. 
There  was  no  accompaniment,  as  instruments  are  for- 
bidden in  the  Greek  Church. 

The  clergy  wore  robes  of  magnificent  brocade.  Some 
of  the  bass  voices  were  the  finest  I  have  ever  heard. 


5 6  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

The  music  was  heavenly  as  it  swelled  through  the  great 
building.  No  wonder  the  moujiks  were  so  quiet  and 
absorbed.  Compared  with  their  monotonous  and  sordid 
daily  lives,  this  gorgeous  church,  with  its  jewelled  icons, 
its  colored  pillars,  its  gold,  silver,  and  incense,  and  its 
priests  in  splendid  array,  must  seem  like  some  glorious 
vision  in  the  Apocalypse.  Their  music  is  very  old; 
some  of  it  dates  back  to  the  fifth  century.  They  have 
a  sermon  about  once  a  year  in  the  Greek  Church.  What 
a  sensible  custom ! 

January  9. 

Yesterday  we  went  to  service  at  the  English  Chapel, 
which  is  on  the  Quay.  It  looks,  on  the  outside,  like 
anything  rather  than  a  church,  being  part  of  a  block. 
The  building  is  always  crowded,  for  there  is  a  large 
English  colony  here,  and  about  a  third  of  the  congrega- 
tion is  composed  of  English  governesses.  The  ambas- 
sador has  a  "high  seat  in  the  synagogue,"  on  the  right 
of  the  altar. 

After  church  we  had  a  long  drive  in  the  country.  It 
was  the  most  dismal  excursion  we  have  taken  since  we 
reached  Russia.  The  day  was  dull,  Judith  was  quiet, 
and  Tom  evidently  homesick.  It  would  have  been 
touching,  if  it  had  not  been  so  funny,  to  hear  the  despair- 
ing sighs  which  he  heaved,  and  to  see  the  doleful  glances 
cast  by  him  over  the  surrounding  landscape,  which  cer- 
tainly was  not  cheerful. 

We  went  to  the  islands,  the  drive  which  is  said  to  be 
so  beautiful  in  summer,  crossed  innumerable  bridges 


SKATING  AND  RUSSIAN  OPERA.  57 

over  frozen  streams,  and  were  glad  to  envelope  our 
heads  in  our  coat-collars  as  we  reached  the  Point  and 
gazed  out  over  the  Gulf  of  Finland.  Snow  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  melting  into  a  steely  gray  sky. 
No  sunshine,  but  a  faint,  cold,  pink  light  in  the  south. 

Tom  began,  — 

"  This  is  the  most  enlivening  spot  —  " 

We  all  shivered,  and  cried  in  concert,  "  Don't !  " 

"  Very  well,  I  wont ;  but  if  you  ever  catch  me  so  far 
away  from  home  again  —  " 

"You  will  add  to  your  cold  if  you  talk  so  much," 
cried  Grace. 

These  were  almost  the  first  words  Tom  had  uttered 
since  we  came  out,  as  he  meekly  suggested,  but  his 
anxious  wife  muffled  him  up,  and  we  turned  our  faces 
homeward.  We  drove  through  thick  woods,  the  bare 
branches  outlined  sharply  against  the  clear  sky,  look- 
ing now  and  then  down  long,  snowy  roads  bordered  with 
evergreens  and  ending  in  more  woods.  I  could  almost 
hear  the  wolves  howl.  Everything  was  as  still  as  death. 
The  country  houses,  with  windows  and  doors  boarded 
up  and  fountains  frozen,  looked  silent  and  mysterious. 
When  we  reached  home,  Tom  remarked  that  he  did  not 
see  how  Alice  could  live  in  such  a  country. 

He  did  not  regain  his  customary  spirits  until  this 
morning,  when  Mr.  Thurber  induced  us  to  go  skating. 
At  first  I  refused,  but  they  urged  me  so  strongly  that  I 
was  obliged  to  yield. 

Mr.  Thurber,  as  a  skating  man,  came  out  in  an  en- 
tirely new  light.  He  was  no  longer  a  middle-aged  per- 


58  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

son  with  an  elderly  man's  manner,  a  bald  head,  a  cynical 
expression,  and  a  tendency  to  sneer  at  everything.  He 
was  a  young  fellow  under  thirty,  with  a  sealskin  cap,  a 
hearty  laugh  on  the  smallest  provocation,  a  twinkle  in 
his  eye,  and  a  disposition  to  cut  capers !  I  could  hardly 
believe  him  to  be  the  same  man. 

He  gave  me  no  peace  until  I  also  ventured  on  the  ice, 
where  I  tottered  about  helplessly,  grasping  his  arm  as 
though  I  meant  never  to  let  go.  While  I  was  getting 
very  warm  over  my  clumsy  efforts,  Judith  was  calmly 
gliding  about.  As  we  neared  a  chair,  I  fell  into  it,  and 
waved  my  companion  away.  "  I  must  rest,"  I  gasped. 
"  Go  and  skate  by  yourself." 

He  smiled  a  little,  cut  a  figure  eight  backwards,  and 
shook  his  head. 

"  I  don't  want  to  skate  by  myself,"  he  responded.  "  I 
prefer  your  company  to  my  own." 

"  Very  well.  That  being  the  case,  you  can  push  my 
chair  about,  for  it  is  cold  sitting  still." 

To  confess  the  truth,  I  feared  he  was  going  to  talk 
to  me  about  Judith,  and  I  began  to  find  having  so 
many  hopeful  passions  poured  into  my  ear  a  little  tire- 
some. I  consoled  myself  by  thinking  that  Mr.  Thurber 
could  not  be  particularly  confidential  to  the  back  of  my 
head,  and  that  my  cousin's  name  would  rest  for  that 
morning. 

False  hope !  For  a  few  minutes  my  cavalier  kept 
silence,  and  as  I  glided  swiftly  and  easily  over  the  ice  I 
began  to  feel  quite  exhilarated ;  but  my  spirits  were 
soon  dashed  by  a  glimpse  of  a  new  arrival,  who  was 


SKATING  AND   RUSSIAN  OPERA.  59 

making  his  way  rapidly  towards  us.  It  was  George ;  he 
came  to  a  stand-still  as  he  reached  us,  and  so  did  my 
chair. 

George  merely  touched  the  hand  which  I  —  forgetting 
that  it  was  not  necessary  to  go  through  the  formality  of 
shaking  hands  with  a  foreigner  —  extended  to  him. 

"  I  have  just  come  from  your  apartment,"  he  cried, 
"  and  I  found  that  some  letters  had  arrived  for  you, 
which  I  took  the  liberty  of  bringing." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  I.  "  Mine  can  wait,  but  Judith  is 
always  impatient  for  hers.  Is  there  one  for  her  ? " 

"Yes,"  showing  me  an  envelope  with  an  Austrian 
stamp  on  it. 

"This,"  I  went  on,  examining  mine,  "is  from  Mr. 
Tremaine.  He  has  become  a  most  devoted  correspon- 
dent lately.  Judith  and  politics  are  his  only  subjects, 
so  I  will  consign  his  letter  to  my  pocket,"  suiting  the 
action  to  the  word.  "  By  the  way,"  I  said,  looking  at 
the  two  gentlemen  who  were  standing  in  front  of  me,  "  I 
wonder  what  would  become  of  us  all  if  we  had  not  Ju- 
dith as  a  subject  to  converse  and  write  about.  I  know, 
Count  Piloff,  you  are  longing  to  ask  where  she  is.  You 
will  find  her  somewhere  on  the  other  side  of  that  island, 
with  Mr.  Novissilsky." 

"  Such  a  dismissal,"  cried  George,  with  a  good-natured 
laugh,  "cannot  be  disobeyed."  And,  with  a  slight  bow, 
he  skated  away. 

The  wrinkle  in  Mr.  Thurber's  nose  made  its  appear- 
ance as  he  inquired,  — 

"  Why  did  you  send  him  off  so  suddenly  ? " 


60  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

11  He  did  n't  mind  it.  I  knew  he  would  ask  in  a  mo- 
ment where  Judith  was." 

"  Indeed  ! "  skating  slowly  round  my  chair.  "  Is  he 
so  fond  of  her  society  ? " 

"  I  think  he  is.  But  I  must  go  in  and  warm  my 
feet." 

My  companion  made  some  polite  remonstrance,  but  I 
refused  to  stay  longer,  and  waited  in  the  house  on  the 
shore  of  the  lake  for  the  rest  of  the  party,  reading  Mr. 
Tremaine's  letter  meanwhile,  to  pass  away  the  time. 

When  the  others  returned  to  the  house  to  divest  them- 
selves of  skates,  and  start  for  home,  Tom  called  out  to 
me, — 

"  We  are  going  to  the  opera  to-night ;  but  I  will  tell 
you  about  it  later." 

I  was  willing  to  wait  for  my  information,  and  resisted 
Tom's  efforts  to  make  me  share  my  sledge  with  him. 

"  No,  Tom.     There  is  only  room  for  one." 

"  But  it  is  not  proper  for  you  to  go  alone ! " 

"  Neither  is  it  proper  for  a  young  man  to  go  with  me. 
Whichever  way  you  arrange,  it  is  highly  improper,"  said 
I,  laughing ;  "  and  as  Judith  is  younger  and  handsomer 
than  I,  she  has  more  need  of  a  protector." 

"  I  forgot  Judith." 

"  I  did  n't,  you  see.  Some  one  must  tell  my  istvostchik 
to  follow  yours." 

George  gave  the  necessary  instructions,  and  he  and 
Mr.  Thurber  broughi  «2p  the  rear. 

On  reaching  the  house,  they  consented  to  come  in  and 
lunch  with  us ;  and  when  we  were  seated  at  table,  I 


SKATING  AND   RUSSIAN   OPERA,  6 1 

learned  that  George  had  placed  his  aunt's  opera  box  at 
our  disposal  for  this  evening,  the  aunt  being  in  Moscow, 
and  likely  to  remain  there  for  the  winter. 

Daylight  was  almost  gone  by  the  time  lunch  was  well 
over,  and  our  friends  took  their  departure,  promising  to 
meet  us  again  at  the  opera. 

January  10. 

The  days  now  are  absurdly  short.  We  breakfast  at 
ten,  generally  by  lamplight.  For  about  four  hours  there 
is  daylight,  and  sometimes  a  little  sun,  but  shortly  after 
two  the  lamps  are  again  lighted.  When  it  is  cloudy, 
we  have  candles  all  day.  The  sun  behaves  in  a  very 
eccentric  way.  It  rises  over  the  left-hand  corner  of  a 
block  of  shops  on  the  other  side  of  the  street,  called 
Gastinni  Dvor,  and  it  gets  about  two  feet  above  that 
building,  and  then  sinks  down  behind  the  right-hand 
corner  early  in  the  afternoon. 

We  reached  the  opera  in  good  time,  and  found  George 
and  Sacha  awaiting  us.  Shortly  after  Mr.  Thurber  and 
Nicolas  came  in.  The  whole  performance  was  Russian. 
This  particular  opera  is  sung  on  all  national  fetes,  and 
was  composed  by  Michael  Glinka,  — "  La  vie  pour  le 
Tsar,"  so  Sacha  translated  the  name  for  me.  The  plot 
is  quite  touching,  and  very  patriotic,  as  explained  by 
him.  Tom  was  glad  to  listen  to  his  account,  in  spite  of 
the  opinion  he  expressed  the  other  day,  that  "Novis- 
silsky  reminds  me  of  a  hand-organ,  he  grinds  out  the 
same  tunes  so  many  times." 

The  singing  was  only  moderately  good.     There  was 


62  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

an  exquisite  mazurka,  and  a  polonaise,  both  of  which 
are  always  played  at  the  palace  balls. 

I  was  so  engrossed  in  the  piece  that  I  forgot  my  com- 
panions until  my  attention  was  called  to  them  by  a  low 
voice  in  my  ear.  I  turned  to  see  Sacha's  dark  eyes 
fixed  imploringly  upon  me. 

"  What  did  you  say  ? "  I  asked. 

"  That  I  am  the  most  miserable  fellow  on  the  earth," 
he  exclaimed,  in  a  dramatic  whisper. 

Following  the  direction  of  his  eyes,  I  saw  Judith  sit- 
ting behind  the  curtain  of  the  box,  with  her  head  turned 
away  from  the  stage,  presenting  her  pretty  profile  to  our 
view.  She  was  looking  at  a  couple  of  large,  brown 
hands,  which  were  playing  with  an  opera-glass ;  and  the 
owner  of  the  hands,  —  George,  —  with  head  bent  for- 
ward until  it  was  on  a  level  with  Judith's  shoulder,  was 
talking  earnestly  to  her. 

That  the  subject  of  conversation  was  something  ab- 
sorbing, I  could  not  doubt.  The  corners  of  my  cousin's 
mouth  quivered  once,  and  she  looked  as  if  she  were 
going  to  cry.  Then  came  a  sudden  change  of  expres- 
sion ;  she  looked  at  her  companion  with  one  of  her 
sweetest  smiles ;  he  smiled  back  at  her,  but,  observing 
our  scrutiny,  frowned  slightly,  and  sat  upright  in  his 
chair  through  the  remainder  of  the  act. 

"  You  see,"  whispered  Sacha  again,  "  it  is  evidently 
all  settled." 

I  smiled  inwardly,  and  wondered  what  this  young 
man  would  think  if  he  should  visit  America,  and  see  a 
flirtation  carried  on  in  a  scientific  way  ;  but  I  only  said, 
"  I  think  you  are  mistaken." 


SKATING  AND  RUSSIAN  OPERA.  63 

"  Mademoiselle,"  he  exclaimed  earnestly,  "  I  would 
change  my  whole  nature  to  please  her.  But  it  is  useless 
for  me  to  play  a  game  against  George'.  He  has  money, 
rank,  —  " 

I  interrupted  him  hastily.  "  Those  things  count  for 
little  with  Judith." 

Sacha  shook  his  head.     "  He  is  fascinating." 

"  Fascinating ! "  I  cried,  looking  at  George  more 
critically.  "  Is  he  ?  I  know  he  has  had  a  great  success 
in  society.  People  urge  him  to  come  to  their  houses, 
he  is  asked  to  lead  the  dances  at  the  palace ;  but  I 
should  never  think  of  calling  him  fascinating.  I  grant 
that  his  manners  are  irreproachable,  he  is  good-looking, 
bright,  and  entertaining;  but  it  seems  to  me  he  is  rather 
spoiled." 

Tom  had  been  making  various  pantomimic  gestures 
for  the  last  minute,  so  I  stopped  to  ask  him  what  was 
the  matter. 

"You  talk  too  much,"  he  said  severely.  "You  dis- 
turb every  one  in  the  box." 

After  this  rebuke  I  kept  quiet  until,  at  the  end  of 
the  act,  we  adjourned  to  a  small  room  adjoining,  where 
tea  and  sandwiches  were  awaiting  us.  A  box  of  bon- 
bons was  also  produced  by  Nicolas,  who  said  that  a 
Russian  lady  never  appeared  at  the  theatre  without  that 
article. 

When  we  had  once  more  taken  our  seats  in  front  of 
the  box,  Mr.  Thurber  murmured  to  me,  "  I  fancy  you 
would  call  that  a  flirtation  in  America,"  looking  at 
Judith  and  George,  who  were  almost  lost  in  the  shadow 
behind  us. 


THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 


"  It  depends,"  I  responded  calmly,  "  upon  what  they 
are  talking  about.  I  have  known  people  to  look  as 
devoted  as  that,  when  no  more  sentimental  subject  was 
under  discussion  than  the  weather." 

"  What  a  vivid  imagination  you  Americans  must 
have ! " 

"I  don't  understand  how  your  criticism  applies,"  I 
retorted. 

"  Perhaps  I  should  have  said,  what  a  power  of  decep- 
tion, instead  of  a  vivid  imagination.  It  must  require 
both  to  give  such  an  expression  of  rapt  attention  to  two 
people  who  are  only  talking  about  the  weather." 

I  don't  like  Mr.  Chilton  Thurber  when  he  sneers  in 
this  way.  One  must  excuse  anything,  however,  in  a 
man  who  is  jealous. 

"  I  didn't  say  they  were  only  talking  of  the  weather," 
I  asserted.  "  They  may  be  making  the  most  desperate 
love  to  each  other,  for  all  I  know.  But  you  are  quite 
right  when  you  say  we  have  more  imagination  than  the 
English.  I  have  enough  to  conceive  that  you  English 
may  be  very  fond  of  your  country,  —  even  your  foggy 
old  capital,  which  it  makes  me  melancholy  to  think  of," 
I  added,  with  a  shudder. 

"  I  am  not  particularly  fond  of  England,"  he  returned 
earnestly.  "  In  fact,  I  prefer  living  abroad,  —  though 
not  in  Russia,"  after  a  short  pause. 

"  Where  ?  "  I  asked,  with  a  look  of  laughing  inquiry. 
"  In  what  genial  clime  would  you  pitch  your  tent,  if  you 
had  the  world  to  choose  from  ? " 

He  hesitated,  then  said,  with  a  strange  expression  on 


SKATING  AND  RUSSIAN  OPERA.  65 

his  face,  "  Wherever  —  "  then  paused,  and  added,  "  in 
Italy,  I  think." 

"  What  were  you  going  to  say  first  ? " 

"  Something  foolish." 

"  I  don't  think  so.     It  was  certainly  something  wise." 

"  But  you  don't  know  what  it  was." 

"  Don't  I  ? '  Will  you  let  me  guess  ? " 

"By  all  means,"  Mr.  Thurber  answered,  looking 
amused.  "  But  you  cannot  know  what  thought  was  in 
my  mind.  It  will  be  a  mere  guess." 

"  Never  be  too  sure  of  anything,"  said  I  sagely,  "es- 
pecially of  what  a  woman  may  know.  We  can  often 
read  you  like  a  book,  when  you  least  imagine  it." 

"  Can  you  read  me  like  a  book  ?  "  he  asked,  in  a  lazy 
way. 

"  Sometimes." 

"  I  hope  you  will  be  interested  enough  to  read  to  the 
end  of  the  first  volume." 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  tell  you  what  you  were  going  to 
say  just  now  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  I,  "that  I  can't  tell  what  words 
were  in  your  mind;  but  I  believe  you  were  thinking 
of  some  one  whom  you  love  very  much.  Am  I  right  ?  " 

"  Perfectly,"  he  replied,  with  a  smile  which  was  some- 
what nervous.  "  But  your  boasted  imagination  will  not 
tell  you  whether  she  is  dark  or  fair,  tall  or  short." 

"  No.  Still  I  should  guess  that  she  is  tall,  and  fair 
rather  than  dark." 

He  laughed  suddenly,  with  an  air  of  relief.  I  waited 
5 


66  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

for  him  to  tell  me  whether  I  had  guessed  aright,  but  in 
vain  ;  so  I  turned  to  ask  him,  but  Tom  interposed. 

"Dorris,  I  never  knew  you  to  be  so  inconsiderate. 
Why  can't  you  go  to  the  back  of  the  box,  like  Judith, 
if  you  must  talk  ? " 

.  This  effectually  silenced  me  until  the  end  of  the 
play. 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR.  67 


CHAPTER    VII. 

STCHOUKINE    DVOR. 

January  12,  1878. 

'"THHERE  is  no  possibility  of  denying  that  Judith  is  a 
-^-  coquette.  It  is  the  only  thing  I  dislike  about  her. 
She  is  a  dear,  sweet-tempered  girl;  but  sometimes  I 
think  she  is  perfectly  heartless,  when  I  see  how  she  tri- 
fles with  these  men.  I  don't  feel  so  sorry  for  George, 
because  he  is  a  thorough  man  of  the  world,  and  quite 
able  to  take  care  of  himself ;  besides  which,  I  have  a 
strong  conviction  that  if  Judith  cares  for  any  of  them,  it 
is  for  him. 

But  poor  Sacha  is  young  and  unsophisticated,  and 
does  not  understand  what  the  word  flirtation  means. 
He  has  my  hearty  sympathy,  as  has  also  Prince  Tucheff, 
a  vigorous  sexagenarian,  who  is  making,  as  Tom  forcibly 
expresses  it,  "  an  old  goose  of  himself  "  over  Judith. 

This  is  the  conversation  which  I  overheard  between 
them  the  other  day  :  — 

"  Blue,"  said  the  prince,  looking  at  the  dress  which 
Judith  wore,  "  is  the  color  of  the  skies,  and  should  be 
looked  up  to." 

"  Hear  that ! "  whispered  Tom.  "  He  must  be  awfully 
hard  up  for  a  remark." 


68  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

My  cousin's  reply  was  drowned  in  Tom's  words. 

The  prince  was  speaking  again. 

"  If  I  were  as  young  as  I  once  was  —  "  and  he  looked 
unutterable  things. 

"  I  am  glad,"  said  Judith,  flashing  a  coquettish  glance 
at  him,  "  that  you  are  not  as  young  as  you  once  were. 
Very  young  men  are  great  bores." 

"  Then  I  will  say "  (in  a  stage  whisper),  "  if  I  could 
only  make  myself  the  age  you  prefer." 

"  Oh  !  "  (dropping  her  eyes,  with  a  little  sigh.)  "  In 
that  case,  I  should  beg  you  to  remain  just  as  you 
are." 

Tom  and  I  moved  away. 

"  What  a  fool  he  is  !  "  murmured  my  brother-in-law. 

Judith  has  been  unmercifully  chaffed  about  that  con- 
versation ;  but  all  of  our  ridicule  fails  to  move  her,  or 
make  her  angry. 

"  I  think  he  is  a  dear  old  man  !  "  she  exclaims,  "  and 
I  do  like  him,  just  as  he  is." 

At  Princess  Shermatoff's  ball,  last  night,  she  was  just 
as  charming  with  Sacha  as  she  had  been  with  Prince 
Tucheff.  After  greeting  the  hostess,  we  passed  into  a 
large  ball-room,  and  were  lost  amid  a  crowd  of  young 
women,  who  were  filling  up  one  corner. 

Judith,  having  had  one  bitter  experience,  now  avoids 
a  sofa  at  parties.  There  is  always  a  table  in  front  of  it, 
and  there  are  always  young  ladies  who  seat  themselves 
each  side  of  you.  A  man  who  can  converse  with  a  girl 
across  a  table,  when  she  is  surrounded  by  others  of  her 
sex,  who  are  curious  to  hear  how  Americans  talk,  has 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR.  69 

more  courage  than  any  of  my  acquaintance.  The  young 
women  flock  together  at  evening  entertainments ;  and, 
should  any  one  gentleman  talk  more  than  ten  minutes 
consecutively  with  the  same  girl,  he  might  as  well  de- 
clare himself  at  once,  —  for  that  would  be  expected  of 
him. 

Waltzing  was  going  on  when  we  entered  the  ball-room. 
Sacha  approached  me,  bowed  so  low  that  I  could  see  the 
part  in  his  hair,  placed  one  arm  about  my  waist,  and 
danced  me  twice  around  the  room,  like  a  whirlwind.  He 
stopped  as  suddenly  as  he  had  started,  left  me  with  an- 
other bow,  in  the  same  spot  from  which  he  had  taken 
me,  and  passed  on  to  Judith,  with  whom  he  did  likewise. 
Another  young  man  followed  Sacha's  example.  Breath- 
less and  bewildered,  I  was  whirled  about  the  room  by  a 
dozen  different  partners  in  as  many  minutes. 

The  waltz  continued  for  nearly  half  an  hour.  When 
it  was  over,  the  hostess  and  the  gentleman  who  seemed 
to  be  directing  all  the  dances  came  to  me  with  partners, 
whom  they  introduced  ;  and  I  soon  found  myself  en- 
gaged for  all  the  quadrilles.  It  is  not  the  custom  to 
engage  partners  for  the  waltzes ;  they  are  taken  out  of 
the  crowd,  as  I  have  described. 

Such  fast  dancing  tired  me,  and,  worse  still,  tore  my 
dress.  Couples  ran  into  each  other,  without  the  slight- 
est compunction  ;  and,  as  most  of  the  gentlemen  were  in 
uniform,  many  were  the  scratches  which  my  poor  arms 
received.  I  refused  all  invitations  for  the  mazurka,  and 
stationed  myself  among  the  mothers  and  chaperones,  who 
lined  the  walls,  and  looked  intensely  bored.  I  was  soon 


70  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

joined  by  a  foreign  ambassador,  who  proved  to  be  enter- 
taining, and  who  remained  with  me  until  supper  was 
announced. 

The  mazurka  began  about  one  o'clock.  I  have  heard 
of  dancing  all  my  life,  —  have  even  flattered  myself  that 
I  could  dance  well ;  but  I  never  knew  what  real  dan- 
cing was  until  I  saw  the  mazurka.  It  is  the  poetry  of 
movement.  I  shall  never  hear  mazurka  music  again 
without  having  a  mad  desire  to  start  up  and  dance 
down  the  room.  The  figures  are  like  those  in  the  Ger- 
man ;  but  how  different  from  our  calm,  lazy  way  of  glid- 
ing to  and  fro  is  the  sprightly  air,  the  abandon,  the 
rhythm,  the  grace  with  which  these  young  Russians  jin- 
gle their  spurs,  and,  seizing  the  hand  of  their  partner, 
look  at  her  with  glances  which  seem  to  tell  all  the  admi- 
ration they  fear  to  speak,  while  she  returns  the  look, 
like  a  true  coquette.  They  dance  for  pure  love  of  the 
amusement,  —  not  as  if  they  were  undergoing  a  pen- 
ance, and  trying  to  make  the  best  of  it.  The  music 
itself  is  enough  to  put  life  even  into  the  coldest  blood. 
The  time  is  well  marked  by  the  piano  and  the  heels  of 
the  gentlemen,  which  are  brought  down  with  a  stamp. 

Mr.  Thurber,  like  an  Englishman,  sneers  a  little, 
and  calls  it  theatrical.  Certainly,  both  Englishmen  and 
Americans  are  too  self-conscious  to  dance  it  well. 

After  the  mazurka,  a  hot  supper  was  served  in  the 
next  room.  Sacha,  not  having  been  fortunate  enough 
to  get  a  partner  for  the  dance,  escorted  me  to  the  din- 
ing-room, and  undertook  to  provide  for  my  wants.  I 
had  resisted  his  efforts  to  talk  with  me  all  the  evening, 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR. 


having  been  much  interested  in  my  conversation  with 
the  diplomat. 

To  confess  the  truth,  Sacha  is  getting  too  melodra- 
matic to  be  agreeable.  He  looks  as  if  all  the  pleasures 
of  this  world  had  passed  away  for  him. 

Swallowing  his  scalding  bouillon  without  winking,  he 
said  severely,  "  Mademoiselle,  I  have  been  trying  to 
speak  to  you  all  the  evening." 

"  Yes,"  I  responded  dryly.  "  I  could  not  get  rid  of 
Son  Excellence." 

"  I  have  come  to  a  determination,"  he  continued.  "  I 
am  going  to  speak  to  your  cousin.  Anything  will  be 
better  than  suspense." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you." 

"I  thought  that  —  perhaps  —  I  knew  —  "  he  stam- 
mered, "  she  is  so  fond  of  you  —  I  was  going  to  ask  you 
if  you  would  talk  with  her." 

I  fixed  a  wondering  gaze  on  my  companion.  "Do 
you  mean  that  I  am  to  ask  her  to  marry  you?"  said  I 
bluntly. 

"  Oh,  no  !  I  only  meant  that  perhaps  you  could 
find  out  if  there  was  any  hope  for  me."  He  looked  at 
me  imploringly. 

I  knew  there  was  no  hope,  but  how  could  I  tell  him 
so  calmly  ?  I  had  seen  enough  that  evening  to  convince 
me  that  Judith  was  very  much  interested  in  George  Pi- 
loff,  and  his  feeling  for  her  had  been  plain  for  some  time. 

Still  I  could  not  have  the  cruelty  to  dash  this  young 
fellow's  hopes  at  one  blow.  I  thought  Judith  would  do 
it  so  much  better  ;  she  was  probably  accustomed  to  it. 


72  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

I  finished  my  bird  leisurely,  and  took  a  sip  of  cham- 
pagne, before  I  answered.  "  I  think  it  would  be  much 
better  for  you  to  ask  her  yourself.  Judith  is  very  re- 
served, and  I  doubt  whether  she  would  confide  in  me." 

He  shook  his  head  mournfully,  and  took  a  large 
mouthful  of  salad.  "  Then  I  must  venture  all,  and  it 
must  be  done  soon,  mademoiselle,"  turning  his  rather 
flushed  face  toward  me.  "  Do  you  know  what  I  shall 
do  if  she  refuses  me  ? " 

As  I  confessed  my  inability  to  guess  this  interesting 
conundrum,  Sacha  looked  down  at  his  empty  plate,  and 
said  solemnly,  in  a  half-whisper,  "  I  shall  leave  Peters- 
burg !  " 

1  his  threat  did  not  make  my  blood  run  cold,  as  Sacha 
evidently  expected  ;  but  I  felt  sorry  for  him,  and  re- 
gretted that  I  could  not  assure  him  of  success  in  his 
love-making.  If  Judith  were  going  to  marry  a  for- 
eigner, I  thought  she  could  not  do  better  than  take 
Sacha.  I  wished  at  that  moment  that  she  was  safely  at 
home  with  her  guardian,  and  I  had  no  further  responsi- 
bility in  the  matter. 

My  friend  entertained  me  during  the  remainder  of 
supper  with  accounts  of  the  various  adventures  which 
had  befallen  him  by  land  and  by  sea,  from  the  day  of 
his  birth  up  to  the  present  time. 

I  began  to  grow  rather  sleepy,  and  I  supposed  that 
we  were  to  take  our  departure  immediately  after  supper. 
Alice  informed  me,  however,  that  there  was  still  a  cotil- 
lon to  be  danced,  and  we  had  a  repetition  of  the  ma- 
zurka, which  lasted  until  a  distant  clock  struck  five. 


STCIIOUKINE   DVOR.  73 

George  danced  this  with  Judith.  He  spoke  to  her  a 
great  deal  in  a  low  voice,  and  she  blushed  often  and 
looked  shy,  which  was  a  revelation  to  me,  for  I  did  not 
know  that  she  was  capable  of  such  an  expression. 

A  sudden  idea  struck  me.  Sacha  had  hinted  at  some 
secret  which  he  possessed,  —  something  about  George, 
I  judged  from  the  way  in  which  he  spoke.  Might  it 
not  be  something  which,  if  Judith  knew,  would  prevent 
her  from  being  drawn  on  any  further  ? 

Oh  for  a  chance  to  speak  to  that  unfortunate  young 
man  !  If  need  be,  I  would  drag  his  secret  to  the  light. 
But  he  had  gone  home  in  dark  despair,  and  my  oppor- 
tunity for  that  night  was  over.  I  was  almost  driven  to 
retire  to  the  ladies'  dressing-room,  where  I  had  seen  a 
package  of  cigarettes,  and  recklessly  indulge  in  a  smoke, 
for  I  grew  so  nervous  that  I  could  not  sit  still ;  but  Alice 
dissuaded  me  by  telling  me  it  would  be  sure  to  make 
me  ill. 

Then  I  was  tempted  to  confide  my  fears  to  Alice ;  but 
how  could  I,  when  I  knew  that  she  adored  her  brother- 
in-law,  and  thought  that  any  woman  who  gained  his 
heart  would  be  fortunate  above  all  others  ?  In  my  fever- 
ish imagination,  that  secret  of  Sacha's  took  elephantine 
form.  The  last  point  was  reached  when  I  decided  that 
probably  George  was  already  married  to  some  one  whom 
he  did  not  acknowledge.  It  is  fortunate  that  we  took 
our  departure  at  that  moment,  for  I  know  not  what  I 
should  have  done  in  my  perplexity. 

I  awoke  this  morning  burning  with  zeal,  and  resolved 
to  have  a  severe  talk  with  Judith.  A  favorable  oppor- 


74  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

tunity  was  not  long  in  presenting  itself.  It  was  twelve 
o'clock  before  we  had  finished  breakfast,  and  then  my 
cousin  took  possession  of  a  novel,  and  I  of  the  "  Jour- 
nal de  St.  Petersbourg,"  and  we  sat  down  in  front  of 
the  wood-fire  in  the  library. 

I  cast  many  a  sly  glance  at  Judith  before  I  gained 
courage  to  begin.  She  had  on  a  brown  stuff  dress,  and 
the  toe  of  one  pretty  bronze  slipper  protruded  an  inch 
or  two  beyond  her  skirt.  Her  smooth  braids  and  the 
rounded  outline  of  one  soft  cheek  were  all  I  could  see. 
She  looked  so  dainty  and  sweet  that  I  did  not  wonder 
that  everybody  wanted  to  marry  her. 

I  watched  the  clock  nervously,  and  saw  that  if  I  did 
not  soon  begin,  Tom  would  make  his  noisy  entry,  and 
Grace  would  come  in  from  her  drive.  So  I  said,  in  a 
low,  meek  voice,  "  Do  you  feel  tired  this  morning  ? " 

As  I  had  already  asked  her  that  question  once,  she 
looked  slightly  surprised,  but  laid  the  book  down  in  her 
lap,  and  said  pleasantly,  "  Not  very.  Do  you  ?  " 

How  different  she  is  from  me,  I  thought,  —  how  very, 
very  different !  I  never  can  bear  to  be  interrupted 
when  I  am  reading,  and  never  can  answer  any  one 
pleasantly  under  such  circumstances.  How  sweet-tem- 
pered Judith  is,  and  what  a  contrast  I  must  be !  This 
thought  saddened  me,  and  I  did  not  feel  inclined  to 
proceed ;  but  as  she  seemed  waiting  for  something 
more,  I  resumed  the  conversation  and  answered,  "  No." 
Then,  growing  sarcastic,  "  But  I  did  not  have  such 
overwhelming  attentions  paid  me  as  you  did." 

Judith  turned  a  pair  of  laughing,  mischievous  eyes 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR.  75 

on  me.  "  I  thought  the  ambassador  was  much  more 
attentive  than  was  proper  !  " 

"  Oh  !  "  I  sighed,  "  he  has  a  large  wife  and  grown-up 
sons.  Judith,"  leaning  my  elbows  on  the  table,  and 
taking  my  chin  in  both  hands,  "  you  know  Sacha  is  in 
love  with  you.  Why  don't  you  take  the  poor  fellow  ?  " 

"  He  has  never  asked  me,"  she  answered  dreamily, 
looking  into  the  fire.  "Besides,  I  don't  like  him." 

"  Why  not  ? "  I  snapped  the  words  out,  full  of  a 
righteous  indignation,  and  ready  to  defend  my  favorite. 

"  He  looks  so  sentimental,  and  as  if  he  were  going  to 
weep  ;  and  he  watches  me  in  such  a  way  that  it  makes 
me  nervous." 

I  leaned  back  in  my  chair,  and,  following  Judith's 
example,  looked  meditatively  into  the  fire.  "  It  is  true," 
I  said  slowly,  "that  he  is  somewhat  irritating  some- 
times. But,"  I  added  with  renewed  vigor,  "  he  is  a 
thoroughly  good  fellow." 

"  I  can't  marry  a  man  simply  because  he  is  good." 

Then  my  ire  was  fully  roused,  and  I  looked  at  her 
with  a  glance  which  was  meant  to  carry  terror  to  her 
soul.  It  was  lost  on  her,  however,  for  she  was  still 
looking  into  the  fire.  "  Can  you  marry  a  man  simply 
because  he  is  bad  ?  " 

"  No,"  she  answered  calmly.  "  I  don't  think  I  could 
fall  in  love  with  a  bad  man."  She  looked  at  me  cu- 
riously, came  over  by  my  chair,  and  sat  down  beside  me 
on  the  floor,  resting  her  head  against  my  knee,  and 
fondling  my  hand.  "  How  solemn  you  are  to-day,  and 
how  very  unpleasant,  dear !  " 


76  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

Such  little  caressing  ways  come  quite  naturally  to 
Judith.  I  always  feel  supremely  foolish  when  I  call  a 
person  "  dear  "  ;  but  in  her  it  is  charming.  I  felt  my  stern 
resolution  melting,  but  I  determined  to  speak  before  it 
was  too  late.  "Judith,"  I  said,  in  a  mournful  tone,  "do 
you  believe  that  George  Piloff  is  a  good  man  ?  " 

She  gave  a  slight  start,  and  the  cheek  which  had  been 
resting  on  my  hand  was  suddenly  removed  as  she  sat 
upright.  "  Good  !  "  she  repeated  musingly.  "  Perhaps 
I  should  not  use  that  word  in  speaking  of  him  ;  but 
surely  not  bad,  Dorris  ?  "  looking  at  me  anxiously,  with 
a  question  in  her  soft  eyes.  "  Surely  not  bad,  dear  ? " 

I  went  on  firmly :  "  I  believe  that  he  is  a  bad  man." 

"  Why  ?  " 

I  was  staggered  for  a  moment.  "  Perhaps  he  is  not 
really  bad,"  feebly,  "but  he  is  at  the  club  continually, 
and  every  one  says  that  all  those  young  men  at  the  club 
gamble." 

"  You  mean  Mr.  Thurber,  not  every  one,"  corrected 
my  cousin  quietly. 

She  was  suspiciously  calm.  I  began  to  warm  with 
my  subject.  "  He  is  not  the  kind  of  man  for  you  to 
marry.  O  Judith,  don't  fall  in  love  with  a  foreigner ! 
Please,  please  don't !  Even  the  very  best  of  them  — 
even  Nicolas  —  cannot  understand  how  women  are 
treated  in  our  country  ;  and  we  expect  so  much  more 
than  they  can  give,  —  than  they  know  how  to  give." 

My  cousin's  head  was  averted,  but  her  hand  still 
rested  on  my  lap.  She  said,  in  a  voice  which  had  the 
shadow  of  laughter  in  it,  "  You  forget  that  George  lived 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR.  77 

in  America  through  most  of  his  boyhood  ;  that  he  was 
over  twenty  before  he  had  ever  seen  Russia ;  and  that 
since  then  his  time  has  been  spent  equally  in  Paris, 
Vienna,  London,  and  here.  He  is  quite  American  in 
his  feelings.  And  although  he  was  in  the  army  while 
the  war  lasted,  yet  his  profession  is  really  that  of  a 
diplomat,  which  makes  a  man  a  stranger  in  no  country 
except  his  own."  She  turned  her  laughing  face  full  on 
me.  "  You  are  very  anxious  about  Sacha.  It  seems  to 
me  he  is  as  much  of  a  foreigner  as  George." 

Somewhat  discomfited,  I  responded,  "  I  am  not  anx- 
ious to  have  you  marry  Sacha,  nor  any  one  ;  but  it 
pains  me  to  see  you  losing  your  heart  to  a  man  who  has 
not  one  good  quality  to  recommend  him."  By  this  time 
I  was  excited,  and  said  more  than  I  meant. 

"  Not  one  good  quality  !  "  repeated  Judith.  "  Is  that 
quite  fair  ?  What  do  you  know  about  him  ? "  with  a 
bright  color  in  her  usually  pale  face. 

"  I  only  know  what  I  judge  from  his  manner  and 
associates,"  I  answered,  rather  ashamed  of  myself  for 
having  so  little  proof  of  George's  worthlessness. 

"  Then,"  said  my  cousin,  springing  to  her  feet,  and 
looking  at  me  contemptuously,  her  small  head  proudly 
raised,  "  I  consider  you  utterly  mean,  to  malign  a  man's 
character  when  you  know  nothing  about  him  !  Are  you 
not  ashamed  of  yourself?  If  it  will  afford  you  any 
pleasure,  I  will  tell  you  that  I  have  not  the  slightest  in- 
tention of  marrying  George,  and  that  we  are  not  in  love 
with  each  other  ;  but  not  one  word  which  you  have  said 
has  had  the  slightest  influence  on  me.  I  consider 


78  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

George  one  of  the  best  friends  I  ever  had."  So  saying, 
she  swept  out  of  the  room  with  the  air  of  an  empress. 

As  for  me,  I  felt  very  small.  All  my  words  rushed 
back  upon  me  and  overwhelmed  me  with  mortification. 
I  quite  agreed  with  Judith  in  her  judgment  of  me. 
What  business  had  I  to  interfere  with  her,  and  what 
grudge  had  I  against  George  ?  I  never  should  be  able 
to  look  him  in  the  face  again.  If  I  could  find  any  people 
who  were  going  that  day  to  America,  I  thought  I  would 
join  them.  Tears  of  vexation  and  contrition  began  to  fill 
my  eyes.  As  I  forced  them  back,  and  tried  to  compose 
myself,  Tom  came  bustling  in,  and  with  him  —  oh, 
horror !  —  George. 

I  had  no  time  to  make  my  escape,  so  I  kept  my  dis- 
consolate position  by  the  fire,  simply  greeting  the  visitor 
with  a  cold  bow. 

"  Well,  Dorris  !  "  cried  Tom,  "  you  look  homesick." 
Rubbing  his  hands,  he  advanced  towards  the  fire. 
"  What 's  the  matter !  Here  is  George,  come  to  take 
us  —  Where  did  you  say  you  were  going  to  take  us  ? " 
appealing  to  his  companion. 

George's  face  seldom  warms  up  for  me  as  it  does  for 
Judith,  and  it  was  with  a  very  cold  expression  that  he 
answered,  — 

"  Your  sister  wished  to  go  sometime  to  the  Stchonkine 
Dvor,  and  I  thought  this  would  be  as  pleasant  a  day  as 
any." 

"Grace  has  gone  out  in  the  sledge,"  I  replied,  "but 
she  will  be  at  home  before  half-past  one,  as  we  lunch 
at  that  hour.  I  know  she  will  be  disappointed  if  you 
don't  wait  for  her." 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR.  79 

"  Very  well,"  interposed  Tom.  "  It  is  one  now.  You 
can  stay  and  lunch  with  us,  and  we  will  all  go  afterwards. 
Dorris  told  me  yesterday  that  she  was  dying  to  see  what 
they  had  in  those  old  shops.  I  must  see  if  Judy  is  up. 
Where  is  she  ? "  and  he  hurried  away  before  I  could 
stop  him. 

George  sat  down  near  me,  and,  putting  on  his  "  society 
manner,"  which  I  particularly  dislike,  he  said,  "  How 
did  you  enjoy  your  first  Russian  ball,  Miss  Romilly  ? " 

"  Very  much." 

"  You  seem  rather  depressed  this  morning,"  he  con- 
tinued, smiling  at  my  doleful  tone.  "  I  hope  it  is  not 
the  effect  of  your  gayety.  The  late  hours  which  we 
keep  are  hard  on  foreigners  at  first,  but  one  soon  learns 
to  sleep  as  well  in  the  daytime  as  at  night." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it,"  I  responded  shortly. 

He  then  launched  forth  into  an  account  of  the  con- 
trast between  the  balls  at  Vienna  and  those  in  Peters- 
burg, which  I  felt  he  was  doing  to  keep  up  the  conver- 
sation. I  tried  to  appear  interested,  and  when  Judith 
entered  the  room  with  Tom,  she  looked  surprised  to  see 
us  talking  in  such  a  friendly  way.  She  cast  a  withering 
glance  on  me,  and  gave  George  one  of  her  sweetest 
smiles. 

Grace  and  luncheon  were  announced  at  the  same 
time,  but  I  could  eat  nothing ;  every  mouthful  choked 
me.  Judith  pointedly  ignored  my  existence,  and  as 
pointedly  devoted  herself  to  George.  She  gave  me 
several  angry  glances,  and  I  sank  further  and  further 
back  in  my  chair,  and  felt  that  every  one  present  won- 


80  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

dered  what  had  happened.  Tom  did  not  hesitate  to 
speak  his  mind. 

"Why,  Judy,"  he  cried,  in  a  loud,  jovial  tone,  "you 
look  like  a  thunder-cloud !  I  declare,  I  never  saw  you 
out  of  temper  before.  If  it  were  Dorris,  I  should  not 
be  so  surprised,  for  she  gets  cross  now  and  then,  but 
she  seems  as  if  all  the  spirit  had  been  taken  out  of  her. 
Did  you  two  quarrel  when  you  were  alone  ? " 

I  smiled  faintly.  Judith  answered  him  in  a  freezing 
manner,  and  changed  the  subject  suddenly. 

As  we  rose  from  the  table,  Tom  told  us  to  make  haste, 
for  daylight  would  soon  be  gone.  I  walked  to  the  win- 
dow and  looked  out. 

"  Come,  Dorris,"  Grace  called. 

"  I  am  not  going,"  I  answered  disconsolately. 

"  Not  going ! "  exclaimed  Tom.  "  Why,  you  are  the 
one  who  has  wished  to  go  more  than  any  of  us  ! " 

Tableau,  —  Tom,  standing  at  the  head  of  the  table  in 
front  of  his  chair,  which  he  has  just  pushed  back ;  I, 
looking  out  of  the  window  and  playing  with  the  cur- 
tain ;  Grace  at  her  door,  with  her  head  turned  towards 
me ;  Judith  at  the  opposite  door  in  the  same  position ; 
George  attentively  surveying  the  sideboard,  with  his 
back  turned  to  all  of  us. 

Silence  for  ten  seconds,  during  which  no  one  moves. 
Then  Judith  comes  swiftly  toward  me,  and  says  in  a 
low  tone,  which  they  all  hear,  — 

"  If  it  is  on  my  account  that  you  intend  to  stay  at 
home,  I  beg  of  you  to  go,  and  let  me  stay." 

"  Oh,  make  it  up,  girls,  make  it  up ! "  says  my  brother- 
in-law's  hearty  voice. 


STCUOUKINE  DVOR.  8 1 

"  Why  not  ? "  thought  I.  "  I  must  do  something,  or  I 
shall  die  of  misery." 

In  a  voice  which  was  very  tremulous,  and  broke  in  the 
midst  of  my  sentence,  I  said,  — 

"  I  owe  Judith  an  apology.  I  acknowledge  that  you 
were  right  this  morning,"  —  looking  at  her  for  the  first 
time,  —  "  and  I  was  cowardly  and  mean." 

"  O  Dorris  !  "  she  cried,  all  her  dignity  gone.  "  Don't 
let  us —  Come  along !  "  pulling  me  towards  the  door; 
and  we  both  made  our  escape,  scarcely  noticing  what 
Tom  was  saying  to  George  about  his  belonging  to  the 
family  —  reconciliation  —  tears,  etc. 

I  felt  very  foolish  when  I  came  back,  and  thought 
the  whole  performance  undignified  and  childish.  Judith 
confessed  to  me  afterwards  that  she  had  the  same  feel- 
ing about  it.  I  soon  forgot  it,  however,  in  the  wonders 
of  the  Stchunkine  Dvor. 

It  looks  to  the  passer-by  like  a  row  of  shops,  two 
stories  high,  with  a  covered  balcony,  and  here  and  there 
narrow  alleys  leading  in  behind  the  shops,  where  we 
caught  glimpses  of  iron,  wheels,  coils  of  rope,  etc.  At 
last  we  turned  into  one  of  these  paths,  and  then  we 
found  that  the  block  was  honeycombed  with  streets, — 
a  city  within  a  city.  An  odor  greeted  us  which  caused 
us  to  hold  our  noses ;  but  we  soon  got  accustomed  to  it, 
and  George  assured  us  that  it  was  nothing  worse  than 
leather.  The  familiar  icon  with  its  candle  was  hung  at 
nearly  every  corner.  What  a  labyrinth  it  was  into  which 
we  had  suddenly  penetrated !  Books,  jewelry,  uncut 
gems,  sausages,  religious  objects,  Siberian  shawls,  dress 

6 


82  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

goods,  fancy  articles,  pickles,  icons,  ready-made  clothing, 
shoes,  and  Chinese  goods  were  some  of  the  things  which 
were  offered  for  sale.  In  rooms  about  six  feet  square, 
containing  a  show-case  and  counter,  we  found  the  most 
desirable  wares.  Most  of  the  stock  in  trade  was  sus- 
pended on  the  walls,  or  tucked  away  in  dark  corners. 
There  was  a  goodly  array  of  booths  in  the  streets,  and 
men  in  greasy  sheepskins  stood  outside  and  invited  us 
to  purchase.  They  did  not  seem  offended  when  we 
refused  to  buy,  but  asked  us  to  call  again. 

The  atmosphere  and  general  appearance  of  the  place 
was  so  filthy  and  shabby  that  Grace  was  inclined  to  look 
upon  it  with  scorn ;  but  Tom  grew  very  enthusiastic. 
He  held  long  conversations  with  the  vendors,  in  Rus- 
sian, invariably  tried  to  make  bargains  for  things  which 
he  did  not  want,  and  was  generally  unsuccessful,  —  get- 
ting hopelessly  muddled  in  his  Russian,  and  appealing 
to  George  to  help  him  out.  A  copper  samovar  took 
his  fancy  particularly ;  and,  finding  that  the  price  was 
twenty  roubles,  Tom  offered  the  man  eight.  By  the  aid 
of  smiles,  shrugs,  and  various  gestures,  the  conversa- 
tion grew  quite  animated ;  but  the  merchant  refused  to 
take  Jess  than  fourteen  roubles,  and  we  left  the  shop, 
Tom  extremely  downcast. 

"  Because,  you  know,  it  was  a  bargain  at  fourteen ; 
and  I  was  an  idiot  not  to  take  it." 

We  wandered  through  the  alleys,  and  at  the  end  of  two 
hours  found  that  we  women  had  spent  all  our  money,  and 
Tom  had  only  a  few  roubles  left,  —  having  purchased 
some  ijnset  turquoises,  a  pair  of  silver  vases,  a  cigar- 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR.  83 

stand,  some  old  chains,  six  lamps,  ten  candle-sticks,  four 
icons,  and  one  Russian  book.  It  was  dark,  and  we 
turned  our  steps  toward  home.  As  we  passed  the 
samovar  shop,  the  merchant  waylaid  us,  and  told  Tom 
he  could  have  the  one  he  liked  for  twelve  roubles.  The 
offer  was  thankfully  accepted. 

I  noticed  that  all  of  these  merchants  kept  their  ac- 
counts by  means  of  a  wire  frame  and  colored  balls, 
which  they  pushed  up  and  down.  I  remember  having 
one  of  these  to  play  with  at  school,  when  I  was  a  very 
little  girl. 

When  we  reached  home,  Grace  announced  that  she 
was  sure  we  had  taken  the  plague,  or  some  dreadful  dis- 
ease ;  and  she  was  apprehensive  all  of  the  evening. 
Judith  kissed  me  before  we  went  to  dinner,  and  I  gave 
her  a  silver  belt  which  I  had  just  bought :  so  the  recon- 
ciliation was  complete. 

January  15. 

To-day  has  been  gray  and  dismal.  Low  spirits,  and 
the  sense  that  I  was  unfit  for  any  one's  company,  drove 
me  out  of  the  house  the  moment  I  had  swallowed  lun- 
cheon. What  a  curse  it  is  to  be  subject  to  fits  of  the 
blues ! 

I  struggled  along  in  the  face  of  a  piercing  Siberian 
air,  —  not  strong  enough  to  be  called  a  wind,  but  cold 
enough  to  put  life  into  my  limbs,  though  my  heart  felt  as 
if  frozen.  My  poor  little  maid  trotted  after  me,  trying 
to  keep  up  with  my  hasty  steps. 

Up  the  Nevsky  I  took  my  way,  and  scarcely  noticed 


84.  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

my  surroundings  until  long  after  I  passed  the  Moscow 
railway  station,  when  I  became  suddenly  conscious  that 
the  pavement  was  wretched,  and  the  shops  extremely 
shabby.  I  stopped  and  looked  about  me. 

Mathilde  came  panting  to  my  side,  exclaiming  that 
mademoiselle  had  walked  at  least  four  miles,  and  that 
we  were  in  a  "  tres  vilaine "  street.  I  agreed  with 
her. 

The  people  who  were  passing  us  were  workmen, 
peasants,  and  boys  driving  cows,  and  carrying  tin  horns 
four  or  five  feet  long,  on  which  they  blew  tremendous 
blasts.  The  shops  had  a  shabby  appearance,  owing 
partly  to  the  signs,  on  which  pictures  of  the  articles 
offered  for  sale  were  painted,  as  well  as  their  names  in 
several  languages. 

Slightly  puzzled  at  my  surroundings,  I  walked  more 
slowly,  and  allowed  Mathilde  to  guide  me.  The  object 
of  my  excursion  was  accomplished.  The  world  no 
longer  looked  black  and  dreary.  I  began  to  think  there 
was  something  for  me  to  accomplish  in  life,  and  some 
people  who  loved  me,  in  spite  of  my  faults.  Feeling 
comforted,  I  wended  my  way  absently  along,  and  my 
thoughts  travelled  far  from  my  surroundings ;  so  it  was 
with  quite  a  start  that  I  looked  at  a  gentleman  who  had 
sprung  out  of  a  sledge,  and  now  advanced  to  speak. 
He  was  so  enveloped  in  furs  that  I  did  not  recognize 
George  until  he  was  close  to  me.  His  face  wore  an 
expression  of  disapproval ;  and,  spending  no  time  in 
preliminaries,  he  asked  me  where  I  was  going. 

"  I  don't  know,"  I  answered,  without  a  smile.  "  I 
believe  Mathilde  is  taking  me  home." 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR.  85 

We  walked  on,  and  the  maid  fell  behind. 

"  Really,"  said  George,  recovering  his  usual  manner 
with  a  slight  effort,  "  I  should  think  you  might  have  dis- 
covered some  pleasanter  place  for  a  walk." 

"Yes,  I  think  I  might,"  I  responded,  with  a  faint 
attempt  at  a  laugh  ;  "  but  I  did  not  notice  where  I  was 
going,  and  I  found  myself  here  at  last." 

He  frowned,  and  bit  his  lip. 

"You  must  have  been  absorbed  in  some  pleasant 
thought." 

"  Pardon  me,"  I  interrupted ;  "  it  was  very  un- 
pleasant." 

"  At  least,  it  was  absorbing  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  grant  that.     I  was  thinking  of  myself." 

"I  fancied  you  never  did  that"  (in  a  tone  which 
said  that  he  never  had  paid  much  attention  to  the 
subject). 

"  I  never  do,  when  I  have  anything  else  to  occupy  my 
mind,"  I  answered,  as  carelessly  as  he  had  spoken. 

"  Surely  you  don't  complain  of  lack  of  amusement  ?  " 

"  No,  —  I  am  not  complaining ;  I  am  only  answering 
your  questions." 

He  smiled,  and  we  walked  on  in  silence  for  some 
time. 

"  Are  you  going  to  walk  home  with  me  ? "  I  asked,  at 
last. 

"  If  you  allow  me." 

"  Then,  can  you  call  a  sledge  for  my  maid  ?  She  is 
not  accustomed  to  such  long  tramps,  and  I  fear  she  will 
be  utterly  exhausted  when  we  reach  home." 


86  THE    TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

George  hesitated  a  moment,  then  said,  — 

"I  suppose  you  know  that  you  are  doing  a  very 
unconventional  thing  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  utter  indifference  to  me.  I  don't 
wish  to  kill  the  maid,  —  that  is  all." 

"  You  might  drive  home  also." 

"  Yes,  but  I  don't  care  to  drive.  I  shall  walk  home 
alone  if  you  desert  me." 

"  Not  for  the  world  !  "  he  cried  hastily.  "  I  shall  be 
only  too  happy  to  accompany  you." 

He  hailed  a  passing  istvostchik,  packed  Mathilde  in, 
and  then  surveyed  me  with  a  critical  eye.  "You  are 
cold  ? " 

I  shook  my  head  emphatically. 

"  You  have  a  bashlik  around  your  neck  ;  put  it  over 
your  ears,  please." 

I  complied  willingly  with  his  request,  for  the  air  was 
piercing  since  the  sun  had  departed  and  the  early  night 
had  begun  to  fall. 

We  walked  on  briskly,  and  George,  finding  that  his  flow 
of  conversation  fell  on  rather  inattentive  ears,  relapsed 
into  a  silence  which  was  unbroken  until  we  reached  the 
canal  bridge.  Here  my  companion  slackened  his  steps, 
and  drew  my  attention  to  a  little  colony  of  Laplanders 
which  we  could  see  below  us  on  the  ice.  Their  tent  of 
skins  had  an  opening  just  large  enough  for  a  person  to 
crawl  in  on  all  fours.  A  tiny  team  of  reindeer  stood 
near  by. 

"You  can  take  a  ride  for  two  or  three  kopecks,  if 
you  like,"  said  George.  "  But  the  poor  reindeer  suffer 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR.  8? 

so  dreadfully  from  the  heat  here  that  they  cannot  go  as 
fast  as  is  expected  of  them." 

I  shivered.  "  Which  is  that  personage  I  see  down 
there,  —  a  man  or  a  woman  ?  "  The  figure  wore  a  long 
cloak,  like  a  petticoat  with  a  waist  to  it,  made  of  skins, 
big  felt  boots,  mittens,  and  a  hat  the  flap  of  which  cov- 
ered the  back  of  the  head,  ears,  and  shoulders. 

George  shook  his  head  at  my  question.  "  I  cannot 
guess.  How  calmly  it  sits  there  on  the  ice,  as  if 
entirely  comfortable  ! " 

As  we  walked  on,  he  continued,  "  They  will  dis- 
appear when  it  grows  warmer,  as  mysteriously  as  they 
came.  No  one  ever  sees  them  go  or  come.  But  you 
would  better  take  my  arm,  for  it  is  dark,  and  the  people 
push  one  about  so."  We  had  reached  the  Nevsky  by 
this  time. 

"  I  thought  of  doing  that  some  time  ago,"  I  responded, 
"  but  you  were  so  shocked  at  my  unconventionality  in 
sending  Mathilde  home  that  I  was  afraid." 

"  Not  shocked,"  he  remonstrated.  "  I  only  wished  to 
remind  you." 

"  Very  kind  of  you.  I  see  that  you  are  one  of  that 
large  class  of  men  who  think  that  women  should  be 
watched  lest  they  take  a  step  out  of  the  beaten  track." 

This  I  said  because  it  suddenly  occurred  to  me  that 
George  and  I  were  getting  on  quite  amicably  together, 
which  was  not  at  all  as  it  should  be,  considering  my  dis- 
like for  him.  To  my  surprise  he  made  no  reply,  but  sighed 
deeply.  I  waited.  "  Well  ? "  I  said  at  last,  impatiently. 

"  Nothing,"  with  a  little  laugh. 


88  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

Walking  along  arm  ifi  arm  seemed  quite  too  much  like 
good  friends,  I  thought.  "  Then  you  do  not  belong  to 
that  class  ? "  I  persisted. 

George  turned  his  eyes  on  me  coldly.  There  was  a 
wrinkle  between  his  brows  which  he  often  has  when  he 
talks  with  me.  "  I  think  we  were  getting  on  very  well," 
he  said,  looking  a  little  angry,  "  and  that  your  desire  to 
quarrel  with  me  will  be  unsatisfied  to-day." 

"I  assure  you  that  nothing  was  farther  from  my 
thoughts  than  quarrelling  with  you,"  I  responded, 
delighted  to  have  vexed  him,  but  rather  ashamed  of 
myself  at  the  same  time. 

"  Then  let  us  talk  no  more  about  it." 

His  annoyance  was  only  momentary,  and  I  was  quite 
silent  until  we  reached  the  Anitchkine  Palace,  when  I 
exclaimed  abruptly,  "  It  grows  more  of  a  mystery  to  me 
every  day  that  Peter  the  Great  should  have  selected 
this  flat,  marshy  spot  for  a  capital.  Not  a  hill  in  sight, 
and  everything  built  on  piles  !  " 

My  companion  laughed.  "  Is  that  the  subject  which 
has  kept  your  thoughts  busy  during  the  last  ten  min- 
utes ?  If  you  have  read  your  guide-book,  as  all  good 
travellers  ought,  you  must  have  discovered  why  the 
great  Tsar  forced  his  people  to  come  to  this  bleak  cor- 
ner of  Russia." 

"  I  have  read  '  Murray,'  of  course,  but  I  found  no 
such  explanation." 

"  It  is  recorded  that  Peter  the  Great  wished  to  have  a 
window  from  which  he  could  look  out  into  Europe, 
therefore  he  founded  St.  Petersburg." 


STCHOUKINE  DVOR.  89 

"  It  is  a  very  cold  window,  and  his  view  of  Europe 
seems  to  be  confined  to  the  frozen  waters  of  the  Baltic," 
I  remarked  frivolously. 

We  had  reached  home  by  this  time,  and  the  Suisse 
hurried  to  unfasten  the  door.  There  is  generally  a 
mysterious  smell  of  cooking  about  the  entrance  to  his 
tiny  room  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  —  cooking  mingled 
with  tobacco, — and  a  sound  of  smothered  cries,  strangely 
like  those  of  a  baby.  Yet  the  family  of  our  Suisse  is  sup- 
posed to  dwell  in  a  small  tenement  round  the  corner. 


90  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

AN    IMPERIAL   CHRISTENING. 

January  17. 

~\\  7HEN   I   told  Alice  of  my  long  walk  with  her 
*  *       brother-in-law,  she  looked  somewhat   scandal- 
ized, and  said  she  wished  I  would  be  more  careful. 

"  Even  a  maid,"  she  went  on  to  explain,  "  is  not  con- 
sidered sufficient  protection  by  the  Russian  ladies  ;  there 
must  be  a  married  woman  or  a  governess  to  make  walk- 
ing perfectly  proper.  Many  girls  are  not  allowed  to  go 
out  alone  in  their  own  carriages.  That,  of  course,  is 
absurd." 

"  I  should  think  so ! "  I  exclaimed  indignantly. 

"  Russians  are  very  particular  with  their  daughters," 
Alice  continued.  "  A  gentleman  never,  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, asks  for  a  young  lady  at  the  door,  and  never 
leaves  his  card  for  her.  The  girls  are  not  visible  except 
on  their  mamma's  reception  days,  when  they  preside  at 
the  tea-table." 

"  What  a  stupid  time  they  must  have  !  "  said  Judith. 
"  But  how  well  they  speak  French  !  Monsieur  d'Echaud 
told  me  that  the  only  way  in  which  he  could  distinguish 
Russian  French  from  Parisian  was  by  a  slight  drawl  in 
the  former." 


AN  IMPERIAL  CHRISTENING.  91 

"  They  are  obliged  to  speak  it  well,"  returned  Alice, 
"it  is  used  so  much  at  court.  The  most  wonderful 
thing  about  the  Russians  is,  that  they  speak  so  many 
languages  well.  German,  English,  French,  and  Russian 
are  considered  only  ordinary  accomplishments." 

"  I  don't  understand  how  they  can  do  it,"  I  sighed. 

"  Poor  Dorris  ! "  laughed  Alice.  "  Languages  always 
troubled  you  more  than  any  other  study;  and  I  fear  your 
French  would  have  been  no  better  than  your  German,  if 
you  had  not  been  educated  by  a  French  governess." 

"  It  is  a  singular  fact,"  I  owned  humbly,  "  that  when  I 
can  read  a  language  perfectly  well,  my  tongue  refuses  to 
speak  it.  How  unfortunate  I  should  be,  if  I  had  not 
been  taught  French  in  my  childhood !  " 

"  It  is  time  to  start  for  the  palace  ! "  Alice  exclaimed, 
and  we  hurried  down  to  the  carriage. 

The  occasion  which  called  us  to  the  Winter  Palace 
was  the  baptism  of  the  young  Grand  Duke  Michael  Alex- 
androvitch,  son  of  the  Tsarevitch,  in  which  ceremony  our 
cards  of  invitation  indicated  that  we  were  to  assist. 

The  day  was  perfect,  —  bright  sunshine,  the  thermome- 
ter ten  degrees  above  zero.  I  have  to  go  through  with  a 
sum  in  arithmetic  every  time  I  look  at  the  thermometer. 
To  translate  R£aumer  into  Fahrenheit  is  something 
which  requires  a  talent  for  numbers. 

Punctually  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  proces- 
sion started  from  the  Tsarevitch's  palace.  First,  one 
hundred  of  the  Emperor's  bodyguard,  —  two  platoons 
of  them,  stretching  from  one  side  of  the  street  to  the 
other.  Behind  them  rode  a  solitary  officer,  and  next 


92  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

four  grooms  in  the  imperial  livery.  A  gilt  coach  fol- 
lowed, drawn  by  six  bay  horses  with  gilt  harness,  and 
containing  the  Master  of  Ceremonies  of  the  Tsarevitch's 
court. 

A  larger  gilt  coach  came  after  the  first,  in  which  were 
the  Cushion  Bearer  and  the  Blanket  Bearer,  —  one  of 
them  being  Count  Kotzebue,  the  Governor  of  Poland, 
and  the  other  Prince  Suwaroff.  Then  appeared  a  third 
gilt  coach.  In  this  was  the  Mistress  of  Ceremonies  of 
the  Tsarevna's  court,  and  the  baby,  —  "  L' Auguste  Grand- 
Due  Nouveau-NeY'  —  about  whom  all  this  trouble  was 
taken ! 

The  equipage  which  carried  him  had  outriders.  Each 
of  the  carriages  had  postilions,  coachmen,  two  men  in 
the  rumble,  and  three  servants  walking  in  the  road  on 
either  side,  dressed  in  the  imperial  livery.  Some  of  the 
more  prudent  held  up  the  skirts  of  their  long,  fur-lined 
eoats,  as  they  marched  through  the  snow,  thus  present- 
ing rather  an  absurd  appearance.  Another  company  of 
Cossacks  brought  up  the  rear ;  and  the  whole  proces- 
sion went,  at  an  impressive,  funereal  pace,  towards  the 
palace. 

Judith  and  I  were  very  gorgeous  in  our  court  dresses. 
It  seemed  almost  a  pity  that  we  could  not  always  pre- 
sent such  a  fine  appearance.  We  both  wore  long  trains, 
and  our  dresses  were  low  in  the  neck,  as  etiquette  re- 
quires for  all  court  ceremonies. 

We  were  admitted  at  the  Door  of  the  Council  of  the 
Empire.  Many  people  were  taking  off  their  wraps  as 
we  entered,  changing  themselves  from  shapeless  fur  bun- 


AN  IMPERIAL  CHRISTENING.  93 

dies  into  ladies  in  glittering  costumes,  and  gentlemen  in 
uniform.  We  followed  their  example,  and  walked  up  the 
broad  staircase  of  white  marble  with  carved  oak  balus- 
trades, finding  ourselves  confronted  with  two  beautiful 
rosewood  doors,  ornamented  with  gilt,  which  opened  at 
our  approach.  We  passed  into  a  long  hall,  with  in- 
numerable windows  on  the  right,  looking  over  the 
Neva,  and  on  the  left  a  conservatory,  containing  a 
fountain,  palm-trees,  and  many  tropical  plants.  A  bal- 
cony, supported  by  pillars  of  white  marble,  added  much 
to  the  beauty  of  this  room. 

Some  Masters  of  Ceremonies  advanced  towards  us. 
One  was  introduced  to  me  ;  but  I  was  so  occupied  in 
admiring  the  room  that  I  only  noticed  the  great  height 
of  my  escort.  I  soon  became  aware  that  he  was  also 
very  young,  and  that  he  was  gazing  at  me  in  respectful 
silence. 

"  You  must  pardon  me,"  I  exclaimed,  "  for  having  so 
little  to  say.  I  am  silent  because  I  am  anxious  to  see  all 
I  can." 

He  bowed  gravely. 

"  I  suppose  this  is  the  first  view  you  have  had  of  the 
palace,  mademoiselle  ? " 

"  Yes  j  and  I  hope  I  shall  see  much  more  of  it." 

He  smiled.  "  Your  wish  will  be  gratified ;  for  we 
have  a  great  many  rooms  to  pass  through  before  we 
reach  the  chapel.  From  here  (walking  to  one  of  the 
windows)  you  see  the  race-course,  where  we  have  races 
every  Sunday." 

"  But  that  is  the  river." 


94  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  Yes ;  but  the  ice  is  so  thick  that  there  is  not  the 
slightest  danger.  You  should  go  to  the  races  while  you 
are  in  Petersburg." 

"  On  Sunday  !  "  I  cried. 

"  True  !  "  he  responded,  in  some  confusion.  "  You 
are  Protestant." 

"Yes;  and  my  sister  would  be  shocked  if  you  sug- 
gested such  a  thing  to  her." 

"Will  you  come  now  ?  "  asked  my  companion,  seeing 
that  the  other  occupants  of  the  room  had  made  a 
move. 

We  followed,  and  skirted  the  conservatory,  turning 
into  an  apparently  endless  corridor,  lined  on  one  side 
with  portraits  of  the  Emperors  of  Russia  at  all  ages. 
On  the  other  side  were  windows  looking  into  the  Her- 
mitage, and  standards  holding  magnificent  Sevres  vases. 
The  rest  of  our  walk  was  through  a  labyrinth  of  splen- 
dor, of  which  I  retain  only  a  confused  memory.  I  have 
vague  recollections  of  an  enormous  throne-room,  with  a 
raised  dais  for  the  throne ;  vistas  of  long  passages,  with 
arched  ceilings  and  painted  walls  ;  a  smaller  throne- 
room  ;  immense  malachite  vases;  lapis-lazuli  tables; 
rosewood  cabinets,  with  delicate  painted  panels  ;  ebony 
doors,  inlaid  with  gold,  silver,  and  ivory;  pillars  of  mar- 
ble and  granite,  from  Finland  and  Siberia ;  a  huge  room 
with  rows  of  silver  candelabra,  reaching  nearly  from 
floor  to  ceiling  ;  marqueterie  floors,  polished  to  such  an 
extent  that  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  I  kept  my 
equilibrium ;  painted  ceilings,  mirrors,  and  pictures. 

"  It  is  certainly  the  most  beautiful  palace  I  ever  saw," 
I  exclaimed. 


AN  IMPERIAL  CHRISTENING.  95 

My  companion  looked  pleased. 

"  And  I  suppose  you  have  seen  a  great  many  palaces, 
mademoiselle  ? " 

I  was  at  a  loss  what  to  reply,  for  it  had  not  occurred 
to  me  until  that  moment  that  this  was  the  first  palace  I 
had  ever  entered.  I  hid  my  confusion,  and  answered 
carelessly,  "  Oh,  yes  !  quantities." 

Here,  to  my  surprise,  George  presented  himself.  Ju- 
dith having  a  gentleman  on  each  side  of  her,  perhaps 
he  thought  he  could  not  do  better  than  join  me.  He 
was  in  uniform,  and  looked  very  handsome,  as  I  could 
not  but  acknowledge. 

"  I  hardly  recognized  you,  Miss  Romilly,"  he  said. 

"  I  was  about  to  make  the  same  remark  to  you,  Count 
Piloff." 

"  I  feel  like  a  monkey,"  he  whispered  confidentially. 
"  I  have  had  so  little  occasion  to  wear  this  dress  for  the 
last  few  years  that  I  cannot  forget  my  clothes  for  one 
instant." 

"  I  am  in  the  same  state  of  mind.  This  train  is 
nearly  breaking  my  arm,  and  I  am  tormented  with 
thoughts  of  how  soiled  my  dress  is  getting,  sweeping 
over  these  wooden  floors.  And,  worst  misery  of  all, 
my  slippers  are  too  tight." 

"  You  unfortunate  little  woman ! "  he  murmured.  "  That 
last  fact  is  enough  to  ruin  your  pleasure  for  the  day.  You 
can  stand  on  one  foot  and  rest  the  other  while  the  cere- 
mony is  going  on." 

"  What  a  bond  there  is  in  affliction  !  "  said  I.  "  It  is 
an  unspeakable  comfort  for  me  to  know  that  you  are 


96  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

conscious  of  your  clothes ;  and  if  your  shoes  were  only 
a  little  too  small,  I  should  be  perfectly  happy." 

"  If  I  had  known  that  such  a  little  thing  could  make 
you  happy,  I  would  willingly  have  worn  a  smaller 
pair." 

We  both  laughed,  and  I  suddenly  realized  that  my 
"  ceremonious  man,"  as  Tom  called  him,  was  still  walk- 
ing beside  me,  and  might  think  us  rude  in  holding  such 
a  long  conversation  in  English  before  him.  I  begged 
his  pardon,  and  asked  him  if  he  spoke  that  language. 
He  was  obliged  to  confess,  with  many  regrets,  that  he 
did  not. 

"  How  much  farther  are  we  to  walk  ? "  I  inquired. 
"  We  must  have  been  half  a  mile  already." 

"  We  are  nearly  there  now,  mademoiselle  " ;  and  almost 
immediately  we  entered  the  chapel,  where  we  found  the 
members  of  the  diplomatic  corps  assembled,  the  gentle- 
men in  uniform,  the  ladies  in  court  dress,  —  that  is, 
dfaolle&eS)  with  long  trains  carried  over  one  arm,  as  there 
was  seldom  room  enough  to  spread  them  out.  The  gen- 
tlemen stood  on  one  side  of  the  room,  and  the  ladies 
on  the  other,  in  the  regular  order  of  precedence  as  re- 
quired by  the  law  of  etiquette. 

At  the  back  of  the  chapel  was  a  gilt  iconostase,  orna- 
mented with  rich  jewels.  In  front  of  this  screen  was 
the  font.  A  gilt  rail  separated  this  part  of  the  chapel 
from  that  where  we  stood,  —  typifying  the  goats,  I  sup- 
pose. 

The  choir,  dressed  in  red  robes  trimmed  with  yellow, 
was  already  in  its  place.  Presently  the  metropolitan  of 


AN  IMPERIAL  CHRISTENING.  97 

St.  Petersburg,  in  a  white  brocade  robe  trimmed  with 
gold,  and  a  tall,  pointed  hat,  came  from  behind  the 
iconostase,  bearing  an  icon,  and  followed  by  a  priest 
with  holy  water.  About  ten  more  priests  succeeded 
them,  in  gorgeous  dress. 

Who  would  not  be  an  emperor's  grandson.  My  re- 
publican brain  was  so  dazzled  by  this  time  that  I  had  no 
thought  of  criticism.  Judith  looked  calmly  superior,  — 
as  if  she  had  been  accustomed  to  such  scenes  from  her 
childhood,  —  while  I  felt  quite  plebeian ;  for  I  could  not 
hide  my  wonder  and  admiration. 

The  priests  passed  us  as  they  went  towards  the  en- 
trance of  the  chapel,  where  they  met  the  Emperor,  who 
kissed  the  icon,  and  was  sprinkled  with  holy  water.  He 
then  bowed  to  us :  we  returned  the  salutation  ;  and  he 
stood  on  one  side,  while  each  member  of  his  family  en- 
tered, and  followed  his  example.  The  procession  then 
walked  to  the  font,  and  the  imperial  family  took  up 
their  positions  inside  the  gilt  rail.  After  the  rest  of 
the  party  had  passed,  the  baby,  completely  covered 
with  cloth  of  gold,  was  borne  in  on  a  cushion  by  the 
Princess  Kourakine.  The  trains  of  the  grand  duchesses 
were  carried  by  pages. 

The  maids  of  honor  and  ladies  and  gentlemen  be- 
longing to  the  court  now  entered,  and  quite  filled  the 
chapel.  George  stood  near  me,  with  a  cold,  uninter- 
ested look  on  his  face,  his  arms  folded,  and  his  eyes 
travelling  about  in  all  directions. 

The  service  lasted  over  two  hours,  during  which  time 
we  were  obliged  to  stand.  I  could  have  borne  this  with 


98  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

resignation,  if  it  had  not  been  for  my  new  slippers  and 
their  pointed  toes. 

The  Russian  ladies  were  dressed  in  the  national  court 
costume,  which  is  very  pretty.  It  consists  of  a  white 
silk  or  satin  skirt;  a  low  waist,  long  train,  and  wide, 
open  sleeves  of  colored  velvet ;  a  tiara  of  the  same 
color,  —  red  seems  to  be  preferred,  —  and  a  veil  at- 
tached to  the  tiara,  which  falls  down  behind  over  the 
dress.  Of  course  these  costumes  were  more  or  less  ele- 
gant, according  to  the  materials  and  the  jewels  worn. 
The  jewels  at  this  court  surpass  any  others  in  Europe. 
I  am  sure  it  would  be  safe  to  add  Asia,  also,  but  I  have 
no  desire  to  exaggerate ;  and,  as  I  have  never  frequented 
Asiatic  courts,  perhaps  I  am  not  competent  to  judge. 

The  Grand  Duchess  Constantine  has  the  finest  jewels 
in  Russia.  On  this  occasion  she  wore  a  train  of  pearl- 
gray  satin,  trimmed  with  bands  of  wide  Russian  sable. 
The  fur  round  the  top  of  the  waist  was  headed  with  dia- 
monds, and  fastened  on  one  shoulder  with  an  immense 
emerald.  Her  petticoat  was  also  of  gray  satin  ;  and 
three  rows  of  velvet,  thickly  sown  with  all  kinds  of 
precious  stones,  extended .  from  her  waist  to  her  feet. 
On  her  neck  were  strings  of  diamonds  and  pearls. 
Her  tiara  was  covered  with  little  diamond  points,  and 
her  veil  of  rich  old  lace  fell  far  down  over  her 
dress. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  chanting  by  the  metropoli- 
tan and  priests,  and  then  the  water  in  the  font  was 
blessed.  The  child  was  separated  in  Some  mysterious 
way  from  all  his  clothes,  and  plunged  into  the  font  three 


AN  IMPERIAL   CHRISTENING.  99 

times,  head  first.  His  nose  and  eyes  were  covered  by 
the  metropolitan's  hand,  but  the  "  Auguste  Nouveau-Ne'  " 
cried  like  any  ordinary  baby,  and  evidently  did  not  like 
it  at  all.  He  was  then  given  to  the  godmother,  wrapped 
up  in  blankets,  and  dozed  quietly  while  another  prayer 
was  said.  He  was  only  left  in  peace  for  a  few  minutes, 
however.  The  priest  presently  anointed  his  ears,  eyes, 
mouth,  hands,  and  feet  with  holy  oil,  that  none  of  those 
members  should  do  any  harm  in  life.  When  the  little 
fellow  had  recovered  from  this  interruption,  and  begun 
to  calm  down,  he  was  again  disturbed  ;  all  his  hair  was 
cut  off  and  given  to  the  godfather,  who  threw  it  into  the 
font.  The  Emperor  stood  as  godfather.  Holding  a 
lighted  candle,  he  carried  the  baby  three  times  around 
the  font,  accompanied  by  the  metropolitan  and  the  god- 
mother, also  with  candles  ;  and  the  choir  chanted  sol- 
emnly as  they  made  the  tour. 

The  Emperor  passed  a  blue  ribbon  about  the  child's 
neck,  investing  him  with  the  order  of  St.  Andrew,  after 
which  he  was  taken  away,  and  appeared  no  more  during 
the  services.  The  Tsarevitch  came  forward,  and  re- 
ceived kisses  and  congratulations  from  his  relatives'. 

The  exquisite  Te  Deum  which  the  choir  began  to  sing 
made  me  for  a  few  minutes  forget  the  jewelled  ladies 
and  ornamented  gentlemen  about  me.  All  the  bells  in 
the  city  were  ringing,  and  the  cannon  at  the  fortress 
was  fired  one  hundred  and  one  times. 

The  imperial  family  left  the  chapel,  and  we  started 
to  follow.  My  new  friend,  who  had  escorted  me  there, 
inquired  what  I  thought  of  the  service,  and  strolled  on 
by  my  side. 


100  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

"  It  all  seems  so  odd  to  me,"  I  ended,  after  a  long 
eulogy  on  the  music,  the  dresses,  etc.  "  It  is  strange  to 
think  of  one  person's  having  a  right  to  stand  in  a  cer- 
tain spot,  while  no  one  else  must  put  the  toe  of  his  shoe 
on  that  spot.  I  could  not  help  wondering  what  would 
happen  if  I,  finding  that  I  could  not  see  what  I  wished 
from  my  position,  should  walk  inside  that  rail,  where 
there  was  plenty  of  room,  and  stand  beside  the  grand- 
duchesses." 

The  young  man  looked  rather  startled.  "  Oh ! "  he 
cried,  "no  one  ever  goes  there  except  the  imperial 
family." 

"  I  know,"  I  answered,  laughing  at  my  companion's 
horror.  "  I  had  no  idea  of  doing  it.  I  only  wondered 
what  would  happen  if  I  did." 

He  looked  relieved. 

"  I  suppose  everything  is  quite  different  in  America  ?  " 

"Quite.  No  one  takes  precedence  of  any  one  else 
there." 

This  was  somewhat  puzzling  to  my  young  friend  ;  but 
he  was  too  polite  to  show  that  he  disapproved  of  my 
country,  so  he  refrained  from  criticism. 

"  It  is  a  pity,"  he  remarked,  "  that  you  will  not  see 
the  Empress  at  any  of  these  ceremonies.  She  is  very 
delicate,  and  does  not  leave  her  own  apartments." 

"  Are  you  discussing  the  Greek  religion  ? "  asked 
George,  appearing  just  then  at  my  other  elbow. 

"  Nothing  so  important,"  I  answered.  "  Only  the 
difference  between  Russia  and  America." 

"  That  is  a  prolific  subject.     Pardon    me   for   inter- 


AN  IMPERIAL  CHRISTENING.  IOI 

rupting  for  a  moment.  I  wish  to  call  your  attention  to 
these  walls.  I  don't  believe,  Monsieur  Cheremenieff 
has  spoken  to  you  about  them." 

I  was  glad  to  discover  my  new  friend's  name,  though 
I  forgot  it  again  in  a  few  minutes. 

"  No,"  I  said,  "I  have  not  noticed  them  before,  but 
they  are  very  beautifully  carved." 

"  Stucco  !  "  exclaimed  George.  "  Nothing  but  stucco. 
I  suppose  there  is  no  country  where  the  art  of  stuccoing 
has  been  brought  to  such  perfection  as  in  Russia.  Most 
of  the  palaces  and  fine  houses  in  the  city  are  stuccoed. 
I  can  count  the  stone  edifices  in  Petersburg  on  my 
fingers.  Yet  you  Americans  sneer  at  stucco." 

We  had  been  speaking  in  French,  and  Mr.  Chereme- 
nieff now  put  in  a  conciliatory  word.  "  Perhaps  you  do 
not  understand  about  it  in  your  country." 

"  It  is  true,"  I  answered,  "  that  there  are  many  things 
which  we  don't  understand,  and  we  are  too  ready  to 
sneer  at  them." 

"  You  acknowledge  that !  "  cried  George,  laughing. 

"  I  can  willingly  acknowledge  our  faults,  we  have  so 
few  of  them." 

"  Dorris  !  Dorris  !  "  cried  the  impatient  voices  of  my 
relatives,  "  we  are  waiting  for  you." 

This  all  happened  yesterday.  In  the  evening  Tom 
and  Mr.  Thurber  returned  from  a  bear-hunt.  They 
have  been  shooting  those  animals,  in  imagination,  for 
several  weeks.  When  it  comes  to  the  reality  it  is  a  very 
expensive  amusement. 

"  Not  as  extravagant  as  keeping  a  yacht,"  Tom  pro- 
tested. 


102  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  Indeed,  I  should  hope  not,"  was  Grace's  unsatis- 
factory reply. 

Each  bear  costs  at  least  one  hundred  dollars.  You 
must  buy  a  heavy  sheepskin  coat  and  felt  boots,  like 
those  which  the  moujiks  wear,  besides  the  weapons 
necessary  for  killing  and  skinning  the  creature.  Then 
you  must  employ  two  or  three  men  to  find  a  bear,  and 
pay  them  for  their  time,  which  generally  amounts  to 
several  days ;  and  he  must  be  watched  while  you  are 
notified  of  his  whereabouts.  You  take  a  railroad  jour- 
ney, hire  a  telega,  and  drive  to  the  spot ;  and  then  if  you 
do  not  shoot  the  bear  in  the  eye,  he  gets  away,  and  you 
lose  him  altogether,  or  one  of  your  attendant  moujiks 
kills  him  ingloriously  for  you. 

It  was  late  when  the  two  gentlemen  returned  from 
their  excursion.  Tom  began  at  once  to  relate  his  thrill- 
ing adventures  and  hairbreadth  escapes,  and  it  was 
some  time  before  I  had  a  chance  to  ask  him  where  the 
bear  was. 

"  The  bear  ?  Oh,  yes  !  Well,  do  you  know,  Thurber 
shot  the  bear,  and  I  never  saw  anything  done  better." 

Whereupon  Mr.  Thurber  became  the  hero  of  the 
hour,  and  poor  Tom  dwindled  into  insignificance.  We 
are  going  to  have  bear-steaks  for  dinner,  and  the  Eng- 
lishman is  to  share  them  with  us,  —  which  reminds  me 
that  I  must  begin  to  dress. 

Evening. 

He  came  early,  and  found  me  alone  in  the  library. 
Upon  his  inquiring  why  I  was  left  in  such  solitude,  I 


AN  IMPERIAL  CHRISTENING.  103 

told  him  that  I  had  had  so  little  of  my  own  society 
lately  that  I  felt  like  a  stranger  to  myself. 

"  Ah !  "  he  said,  in  a  serious  tone,  "  then  I  am  in- 
truding." 

"  Not  at  all.  I  am  not  fond  of  strangers,  so  pray  do 
not  go." 

The  characteristic  wrinkle  in  my  companion's  nose 
showed  that  he  was  amused. 

"  I  wonder  if  any  one  has  ever  told  you  that  the 
tongue  is  a  dangerous  weapon  ? "  he  asked. 

"  I  remember  vaguely  to  have  read  it  somewhere. 
But  why  ?  Do  you  wish  me  to  be  silent  that  you  may 
talk  ? " 

"  Heaven  forbid  !  "  he  cried.  "  I  have  been  exerting 
myself  in  that  way  all  the  afternoon,  and  I  came  here  to 
rest." 

"  To  have  a  man  confess  that  he  comes  to  me  for  rest 
is  a  bit  of  flattery  which  I  shall  not  soon  forget." 

"  Really !  "  said  my  companion  nonchalantly.  "  What 
does  Mr.  Novissilsky  come  to  you  for  ? " 

"  To  talk  about  my  cousin." 

"  Ah  !  "  A  moment's  reflection,  and  then  he  added, 
"One  would  say,  you  know,  that  Count  Piloff  was  a 
desperate  admirer  of  your  cousin's.  George  Piloff,  I 
mean." 

I  looked  at  him  with  some  surprise.  Was  Chilton 
Thurber  degenerating  into  a  gossip  ?  However,  I  was 
glad  to  have  some  one  to  talk  the  matter  over  with,  so 
I  told  him  all  I  knew  about  Judith,  beginning  with  her 
attachment  to  the  young  man  in  Vienna.  I  thought  if 


104  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

Mr.  Thurber  had  any  lingering  fondness  for  her,  it  would 
do  no  harm  to  let  him  know  that  there  were  rivals  in 
the  field. 

He  was  silent  for  some  minutes  after  I  finished  speak- 
ing; then,— 

"  Why  have  you  such  a  prejudice  against  Count 
Piloff  ?  " 

"  Prejudice  !  "  I  repeated,  vexed  at  being  accused  of 
such  weakness.  "  It  is  not  a  prejudice.  But  I  dislike 
his  manner ;  and  the  fact  that  he  is  a  foreigner  is  against 
him.  I  should  be  very  unhappy  if  any  one  whom  I 
loved  were  to  marry  a  foreigner." 

"  Then  you  would  advocate  your  cousin's  being  faith- 
ful to  her  first  love,"  dryly. 

"  Certainly.  I  do  not  understand  how  a  woman  can 
change  in  that  way.  It  seems  to  me  that  if  I  loved  a 
man  once,  I  should  love  him  forever ;  and  the  women 
who  are  in  love  with  a  new  man  every  year  are  gen- 
erally those  with  very  little  character,"  I  added  with 
excitement. 

My  companion  smiled  in  a  superior  manner,  but 
refrained  from  contradiction. 

"  Every  one  likes  Count  Piloff,"  he  said,  after  a  mo- 
ment. "  Why  should  you  not  agree  with  other  people  ? " 

"  Do  you  like  him  ? "  I  asked  boldly. 

Mr.  Thurber  did  not  seem  in  the  least  discomposed 
by  my  question,  but  answered  unhesitatingly,  — 

"  Yes ;  I  think  him  an  agreeable  fellow,  excellent 
company,  and  not  much  like  a  Russian." 

"There   spoke   a  prejudiced  Englishman!     I  would 


AN  IMPERIAL  CHRISTENING.  105 

rather  have  him  a  thorough  Russian  than  a  cosmopoli- 
tan. To  speak  frankly,  I  don't  know  why  I  should  not 
like  him,  unless  it  is  because  he  is  so  unconscious  that 
one  can  look  upon  him  with  any  feelings  except  those 
of  admiration." 

"  I  think  that  is  simply  a  manner  which  every  man 
acquires  who  goes  into  society  so  much  as  he  does,  and 
in  so  many  different  countries.  If  you  knew  him  as  I 
do,  you  would  acknowledge  that  he  is  thoroughly  trust- 
worthy ;  and  he  has  one  quality  which  I  have  rarely 
found  among  his  compatriots,  or,  in  fact,  among  society 
men  anywhere.  I  mean  truthfulness.  There  was  a  time 
when  I  doubted  him,  but  this  virtue  has  been  proved  to 
me  beyond  dispute.  I  think  you  are  unjust  to  him. 
From  a  worldly  point  of  view  Count  Piloff  is  certainly 
all  that  can  be  required  to  constitute  a  suitable  match 
for  your  cousin." 

I  sighed.  "  I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  Judith's  marry- 
ing a  foreigner." 

Then  I  began  to  wonder  what  had  happened  to  make 
Mr.  Thurber  talk  so  much  to  me  and  in  such  a  confiden- 
tial manner.  Every  time  I  see  him  he  does  something 
which  surprises  me.  He  broke  the  silence  by  saying,  — 
"  Does  your  antipathy  to  foreigners  as  husbands  extend 
to  Englishmen  ? " 

Aha !  thought  I,  I  see  what  you  are  thinking  of. 
Aloud  I  answered  carelessly,  — 

"  To  a  certain  extent,  yes.  But  although  Englishmen 
do  not  make  so  good  husbands  as  Americans,  they  come 
nearer  my  standard  of  excellence  than  any  other  for- 


106  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

eigners.  Fortunately,  however,  I  have  no  authority  over 
Judith,  and  in  about  six  months  she  may  marry  whom 
she  chooses." 

"  Ah ! "  murmured  the  impassive  young  man  beside 
me. 

After  a  moment  he  went  on,  with  a  strange  tone  in 
his  voice,  "  I  was  thinking  of  you  when  I  asked  the 
question." 

For  an  instant  my  heart  stood  still ;  then  I  concluded 
I  must  have  misunderstood  him,  so  I  counted  the  stitches 
in  my  work  calmly,  and  said,  — 

"  I  never  think  of  myself  in  that  way.  As  I  do  not 
intend  to  marry,  I  have  no  occasion  to  look  upon  any 
one  I  meet  in  the  light  of  a  possible  husband." 

Mr.  Thurber  sat  up  stiffly  in  his  chair,  and  gazed 
attentively  at  me.  I  could  feel  his  eye-glass,  though 
I  did  not  meet  his  glance. 

"  Why  do  you  not  intend  to  marry  ? "  he  asked 
suddenly. 

"  For  reasons  best  known  to  myself,"  I  said,  with 
some  asperity,  adding  afterwards,  with  a  little  laugh, 
"  You  force  me  to  be  rude  in  my  replies.  I  can  only 
tell  you  that  I  have  good  reasons,  and  that  I  shall  never 
marry." 

His  face  did  not  relax ;  he  still  gazed  at  me,  and 
murmured  under  his  breath,  "  Ah !  " 

I  folded  up  my  work  slowly,  and  brought  a  news- 
paper from  the  table,  which  I  handed  to  him,  — 

"  There  !  I  know  you  wish  to  read  your  '  Times.'  I 
have  a  note  to  write." 


AN  IMPERIAL  CHRISTENING.  JO? 

He  took  the  paper  meekly,  and  after  watching  me 
curiously  for  a  moment,  became ,  absorbed  in  its  con- 
tents, while  I  tried  to  collect  myself.  It  is  the  most 
surprising  experience  I  ever  had.  Was  it  an  offer,  or 
was  it  not  ?  No  one  knows  but  Mr.  Thurber,  and  I 
strongly  suspect  that  he  will  never  tell  me.  I  am  afraid 
he  is  not  very  deeply  in  love,  or  he  would  not  have  been 
so  easily  repulsed. 


108  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

EPIPHANY. 

January  18. 

"\\  7E  have  just  returned  from  the  palace,  where  we 
*  ^  went  to  see  the  blessing  of  the  Neva,  which 
always  takes  place  on  this  date.  It  is  the  Russian 
Epiphany.  It  was  quite  an  interesting  ceremony,  or 
would  have  been  so  if  I  could  have  seen  more  of  it. 

A  pavilion  was  erected  on  the  border  of  the  river  oppo- 
site the  main  entrance  to  the  palace,  and  a  carpet  spread 
across  the  road.  There  was  such  a  crowd  in  the  hall 
where  we  were  that  I  feared  we  should  not  be  able  to 
get  near  a  window ;  but  Prince  Tucheff  procured  a  re- 
tired corner,  from  which  we  had  a  view  of  the  street 
below.  He  stationed  himself  behind  me  and  beside 
Judith,  who  never  turned  her  head  towards  the  window, 
and  who,  consequently,  knows  as  much  about  the  bless- 
ing of  the  Neva  as  she  does  about  Greek.  I  could  not 
avoid  overhearing  some  of  their  conversation,  as  I  was 
so  near.  I  hailed  the  appearance  of  Mr.  Cheremenieff 
with  relief,  for  my  position  was  growing  embarrassing. 

"  Why  don't  they  begin  ? "  I  asked. 

"The  service  is  now  going  on  in  the  chapel  below.  At 
its  close,  the  priests  will  go  out  upon  the  river.  But 


EPIPHANY.  109 


look  at  the  crowd,  mademoiselle  !     Is  not  that  a  wonder- 
ful sight  ? " 

It  really  was.  Rows  of  mounted  policemen  lined  the 
path  from  palace  to  pavilion  where  the  carpet  was 
spread  :  behind  them  appeared  a  surging,  swaying  mass 
of  human  beings.  At  intervals  of  two  or  three  minutes, 
as  the  people  encroached  on  the  path,  the  policemen 
forced  them  to  retreat  by  spurring  their  horses  into  the 
heart  of  the  crowd,  and  making  them  kick  and  rear ;  we 
could  hear  the  screams  of  women,  mingling  with  the 
dull  roar  of  the  mob. 

"  Oh  !  "  I  cried  in  horror.     "  Is  any  one  killed  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,"  replied  my  companion,  with  an  easy 
smile. 

"I  feel  like  Marie  Antoinette,  when  the  mob  was 
under  her  window  at  Versailles.  I  am  afraid  of  that 
crowd." 

"They  are  very  gentle  and  patient,"  he  said  re- 
assuringly. 

"  Yes,  but  there  are  so  many  of  them  ! " 

"  I  suppose  you  never  see  a  crowd  like  that  in  Amer- 
ica," said  Mr.  Cheremenieff. 

How  tiresome  it  is  to  be  constantly  reminded  that  you 
are  a  foreigner !  One  would  think  an  American  was  an 
entirely  different  species  from  an  ordinary  woman.  I 
answered,  rather  impatiently,  "  Oh  yes,  plenty  of 
them,"  and  turned  my  attention  to  the  window. 

A  cheerful  voice  at  my  ear  brought  my  eyes  back  to 
the  room. 

"Is  n't  it  tiresome  to  wait  so  long?"  cried  George,  giv- 


1 10  THE   fSAR'S   WINDOW. 

ing  a  glance  at  Judith  and  her  companion,  as  he  accosted 
me. 

"I  don't  mind  it,"  I  responded,  "so  long  as  I  have 
something  pleasant  to  talk  about." 

"  But  suppose  you  had  not,"  he  persisted,  laughing. 
"  Suppose  all  the  pleasure  which  you  had  been  looking 
forward  to  had  proved  to  be  only  —  let  me  see  —  don't 
you  say  Dead  Sea  fruit  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  say  it  sometimes ;  but  I  should  think  you 
rarely  had  occasion  to  say  so." 

He  looked  at  me  with  a  face  which  told  that  he  was 
amused  and  surprised. 

"  How  cynical  you  are !  So  life  is  supposed  to  be  all 
bright  for  me,  and  all  bitter  for  you  ? " 

"I  did  not  say  that !  "  I  retorted  angrily.  "I  am  not 
such  a  child.  I  only  meant  .that  I  was  subject  to  attacks 
of  the  blues  ;  and  I  don't  believe  you  are." 

His  gaze  travelled  past  me,  and  out  of  the  window. 

"  I  misunderstood  you,"  he  said  quietly.  "  Pardon 
me." 

I  always  seem  to  be  at  a  disadvantage  with  George.  If 
I  lose  my  temper,  or  make  a  foolish  speech,  it  is  sure  to 
be  when  he  is  present. 

I  looked  at  him  out  of  the  corner  of  my  eye,  wonder- 
ing if  he  were  annoyed  ;  and  I  sighed  audibly. 

My  companion  turned  his  eyes  from  the  landscape, 
and  glanced  at  me  with  a  half-amused  expression. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  Do  you  feel  an  attack  of  the 
blues  coming  on  ?  " 

"  It  is  nothing  to  laugh  at,"  I  returned,  with  some 


EPIPHANY.  Ill 


spirit.  "  If  I  were  blue,  I  should  not  come  to  you  for 
sympathy." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Because  I  think  you  have  n't  such  a  thing  in  your 
nature." 

"  Now,  that,  Miss  Romilly,  is  extremely  unjust.  How 
can  you  know  whether  I  am  sympathetic  or  not  ?  Do 
you  think  you  understand  me  thoroughly,  after  such  a 
short  acquaintance  ? " 

I  could  not  determine  whether  he  was  in  earnest  or 
not ;  so  I  answered,  at  random,  — 

"  No,  I  am  not  so  rash." 

"  You  have  not  told  me  why  you  sighed  in  such  a  dis- 
mal way." 

"  Because  I  was  sorry  for  you." 

"  Indeed  !  "  (amusement  showing  itself  in  his  eyes.) 
"  May  I  ask  why  ?  " 

"You  looked  so  melancholy,  just  then." 

"  That  was  kind  of  you,"  he  said,  smilingly.  "  If  you 
knew  what  made  me  thoughtful,  —  I  deny  being  mel- 
ancholy,—  you  would  not  feel  at  all  sorry  for  me." 

"  Then  it  is  as  well  that  I  do  not  know  ? "  I  re- 
torted. 

"  You  never  shall,  if  I  can  help  it,"  he  muttered  under 
his  breath. 

"  I  beg  pardon  ? "  I  said  sweetly.  "  I  did  not 
hear." 

"  And  I  did  not  intend  that  you  should  "  (with  a  grave 
smile).  "  But,"  he  added,  "  I  don't  mean  to  be  rude,  and 
I  fear  I  seem  so.  How  forbearing  you  are  to-day  ! " 


112  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  I  am  endeavoring  to  show  you  that  I  can  sometimes 
keep  my  temper." 

"  You  have  proved  that  beyond  dispute  ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, with  a  hearty  laugh. 

"  Count  Piloff,"  said  I,  "  will  you  tell  me  why  there 
is  nothing  going  on  down  there  ?  "  —  indicating  the 
road. 

"  Because  the  service  in  the  chapel  is  not  yet  over. 
Patience  is  a  virtue  which  those  who  frequent  palaces 
must  cultivate." 

"  Well,  as  there  is  nothing  to  look  at  outside,  perhaps 
you  will  be  good  enough  to  tell  me  why  you  treat  me  as 
if  I  were  a  child  ?  " 

I  said  this  rather  frivolously,  smiling  at  him  as  I 
awaited  his  reply.  He  hesitated  for  some  time  ;  then 
said,  — 

"  I  cannot  imagine  why  I  do "  (in  a  musing  tone), 
"unless  it  is  because  you  seem  such  a  child  to  me." 

I  gazed  at  him  in  astonishment  too  deep  for  utterance. 
He  looked  upon  me,  Dorris  Romilly,  —  who  consid- 
ered herself  quite  a  woman  of  the  world,  and  was  so 
considered  by  most  of  her  friends,  —  as  a  child !  Amaze- 
ment kept  me  silent  for  the  moment.  I  could  think  of 
no  words  strong  enough  to  convince  him  of  his  mis- 
take. When  I  did  speak,  it  was  to  utter  but  a  feeble 
protest. 

"  I  am  twenty-five,  and  I  feel  fifty." 

This  only  made  him  smile  again. 

"You  are  wonderfully  like  a  child  sometimes,"  he 
said  at  last ;  "  and  the  next  moment  you  are  a  woman." 


EPIPHANY.  113 


This  soothed  me  somewhat. 

"  To-day,"  he  went  on,  with  a  kind  smile,  "  you  have 
appeared  in  the  former  character.  What  you  will  be 
to-morrow  is  a  mystery  which  I  cannot  fathom.  Last 
Sunday,  you  were  —  "  (he  stopped  suddenly). 

"  What  was  I  then  ?  "  I  asked  eagerly. 

He  responded  gravely,  "  Yourself." 

I  looked  puzzled,  as  I  felt. 

"  You  wonder,"  he  continued,  with  that  look  of  quiet 
amusement  which  I  had  noticed  before,  "whether  I  mean 
charming  or  the  reverse." 

"I  wonder  nothing  of  the  sort,"  said  I  quickly,  with  a 
warm  color  in  my  face. 

"Think  no  more  about  it ;  for  here  comes  the  proces- 
sion." 

A  number  of  priests,  bearing  banners,  appeared  be- 
low us ;  and  every  head  in  the  crowd  was  uncovered, 
remaining  so  through  the  service,  which  lasted  about 
fifteen  minutes. 

The  priests  were  followed  by  officers,  more  priests, 
tattered  flags,  and  the  choir,  which  chanted  all  the  time. 
They  disappeared  in  the  pavilion,  and  we  could  only  hear 
the  music.  The  cold  was  intense  ;  and  the  men  in  the 
crowd  rubbed  their  ears  and  their  bare  heads,  as  they 
listened  in  rapt  devotion  to  the  service. 

Finding  that  I  could  see  and  hear  nothing,  I  turned, 
expecting  to  find  a  vacant  place,  where  George  had  been ; 
but  he  was  still  there. 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  have  not  gone,"  I  cried,  "  for  I  have 
been  intending  to  ask  you  a  question  for  a  long  time, 


114  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

and  I  never  could  remember  it  when  I  was  with  you. 
Why  were  you  named  George?" 

"1  am  sorry  if  my  name  displeases  you.  But  St. 
George  was  a  great  character  in  his  day,  and  perhaps 
my  mother  thought  I  might  resemble  him,"  he  answered, 
smiling.  "You  know  our  choice  of  names  is  limited, 
for  each  member  of  the  Greek  Church  must  be  named 
for  some  saint." 

"  I  did  not  know  that  you  belonged  to  that  church." 

"  I  was  baptized  in  it,  therefore  I  suppose  that  I  am 
a  member.  But  I  asstjre  you  St.  George  is  altogether 
the  greatest  saint  we  haye,  and  the  Order  of  St.  George 
is  the  highest  in  Russia.  The  first  class  of  the  order  is 
given  only  to  one  who  has  commanded  one  hundred 
thousand  men  in  a  successful  war.  The  Emperor  and 
the  Grand  Duke  Nicolas  are  the  only  persons  in  this 
country  who  have  it.  So  I  trust  you  wil}  forgive  me  for 
having  such  an  ugly  name." 

*'I  don't  know  that  it  js  so  very  ugly,"  I  replied 
thoughtfully,  "  wlien  one  gets  accustomed  to  it." 

"  Try  and  become  accustomed  to  it,  then,"  said  my 
companion,  with  a  laugh. 

"  I  ask  a  great  many  questions,  I  know,"  apolo- 
getically ;  then  I  added  abruptly,  "  Where  is  every  one 
going  ? " 

"  Into  the  next  room  for  lunch,  I  fancy.  Let  us  go 
too." 

'•  I  do  not  feel  as  if  I  had  seen  the  Neva  blessed,  after 
all,''  I  murmured,  as  I  moved  away  reluctantly. 


EPIPHANY.  115 


Later. 

Alice  and  I  have  been  painting  from  the  same  model, 
—  a  little  Italian  whom  she  found  in  the  street.  He  is 
named  Alberto,  and  he  says  that  he  came  alone  from 
Naples.  He  talks  freely  enough,  but  I  have  been  una- 
ble to  discover  his  reason  for  leaving  the  sunny  land  of 
his  birth  to  visit  this  inhospitable  climate.  I  asked  him 
if  the  Russians  were  not  very  poor. 

"  Oh,  no  ! "  he  cried,  and  went  on  to  describe  the 
moujik's  life  as  quite  a  paradise  compared  with  that  of 
the  Italian  peasant. 

There  is  such  a  depth  of  ignorance  in  the  faces  of 
some  of  these  moujiks  !  I  wish  I  could  speak  Russian  ; 
I  should  like  to  be  able  to  ask  questions,  and  learn 
something  about  this  strange  people. 

"You  Russians,"  I  said  to  Nicolas  the  other  day, 
"  are  so  —  I  hardly  know  how  to  express  it  — so  light. 
There  seems  no  depth  to  you,  no  earnestness." 

"  You  forget,"  he  answered  gravely,  "  that  you  only 
know  the  society  element,  which  is  much  alike  in  all 
countries.  Strangers  come  here,  stay  a  year  or  two  in 
Petersburg,  and  then  go  away  and  write  a  book,  think- 
ing they  know  all  about  us.  What  does  a  man  under- 
stand of  America  who  goes  to  New  York  and  Newport 
only,  and  spends  his  time  in  society  and  at  the  clubs  ? " 

"True,"  I  replied.     "  It  is  unjust." 

So  I  have  given  up  trying  to  judge  the  Russians.  I 
take  them  as  I  find  them,  —  a  kind-hearted,  hospitable, 
cordial,  highly  cultivated  nation ;  and  I  find  them  ex- 
tremely pleasant  to  live  with.  The  women  look  much 


Il6  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

like  Americans,  and  are  unusually  bright.  They  are 
pale,  and  remind  me  a  little  of  hothouse  plants.  Large 
feet  are  the  exception ;  even  the  peasants  have  pretty 
feet. 

What  strange  creatures  Englishmen  are  !  Mr.  Thur- 
ber,  who  spends  two  or  three  months  here  every  year, 
seldom  has  a  good  word  to  say  for  poor  Russia. 

"  At  least,"  I  remonstrated,  "  you  will  acknowledge 
that  the  Neva  is  a  fine  river  ? " 

He  pondered  a  moment,  then  replied,  — 

"  Do  you  know,  I  think  a  river  can  be  too  large  !  " 

January  19. 

The  pictures  in  the  Hermitage,  especially  the  Mu- 
rillos,  are  my  constant  delight.  I  am  very  ambitious, 
and  am  trying  to  copy  the  head  of  the  Virgin  in  Muril- 
lo's"  Assumption."  I  wish  I  had  taken  something  easier. 
Mr.  Thurber  comes  in  nearly  every  day  to  observe  the 
progress  of  my  work.  His  criticisms  are  too  just  to 
be  encouraging. 

This  morning  I  induced  him  to  leave  the  Spanish 
school,  and  look  at  the  pictures  by  Russian  artists, 
which  we  discussed  in  detail.  Then,  as  I  felt  tired, 
we  sat  down  in  a  window  embrasure,  and  continued 
our  conversation. 

"  How  I  long  to  see  the  gallery  in  Madrid  !  "  I  cried. 

"  Why  do  you  not  go  there  ?  " 

"That  would  be  so  easy!  "  I  answered  sarcastically. 

"  Nothing  easier,"  he  remarked  calmly.  "  When  you 
leave  here,  take  a  trip  through  Spain." 


EPIPHANY.  117 


I  looked  at  him  blankly. 

"  In  the  first  place,  Grace  would  not  listen  to  the 
idea ;  but  even  if  she  went,  it  would  not  be  possible  for 
me  to  do  so.  You  speak  as  if  it  were  a  mere  nothing ; 
let  me  assure  you  that  it  would  cost  a  large  amount  of 
money,  and  I  have  none  to  spare.  I  am  not  an  heiress 
like  Judith  ;  my  income  is  very  small,  and  a  journey  to 
Spain  would  be  quite  beyond  me." 

"  I  thought  all  Americans  were  wealthy." 

"  I  dare  say  you  did.  That  is  a  popular  fallacy  abroad. 
I  believe  I  never  met  a  foreigner  who  was  not  imbued 
with  it." 

"  You  still  persist  in  calling  me  a  foreigner  ? "  he  asked, 
with  a  half  smile. 

"  You  are  one,  you  know,  though  of  the  least  objec- 
tionable nation." 

I  got  up,  and  we  began  to  stroll  towards  the  entrance, 
where  the  sledge  was  to  come  for  me  at  a  quarter  to 
two. 

"  It  wants  five-and-twenty  minutes  to  the  hour,"  said 
Mr.  Thurber.  "  You  will  have  to  wait." 

"  Never  mind." 

I  sat  down  and  watched  a  gayly  dressed  attendant, 
who  was  walking  leisurely  about. 

"I  wonder,"  said  I  thoughtfully,  "whether  there  will 
be  any  servants  in  the  house  with  whom  I  can  communi- 
cate when  I  get  home.  If  the  butler  is  there,  I  can 
give  my  order  in  English,  otherwise  I  must  tell  my 
maid  in  French,  she  will  tell  the  footman  in  German, 
and  he  will  tell  the  moujik  or  the  cook  in  Russian.  I 


Il8  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

ordered  some  wood  the  other  day,  and  they  brought  me 
hot  water." 

"  I  fancied  that  you  had  learned  words  enough  to 
make  your  wants  known." 

"  So  I  have,  two  or  three  times  over,  and  forgotten 
them  again.  I  never  knew  anything  so  easy  to  forget 
as  Russian." 

"  Housekeeping  among  a  people  whose  language  you 
do  not  understand  must  be  difficult." 

"  It  would  be,  except  that  my  sister  lets  the  house 
keep  itself.  I  doubt  if  she  knows  how  many  servants 
she  has,  and  I  am  sure  she  is  in  a  blissful  state  of  igno- 
rance as  to  where  they  eat  and  sleep.  The  moujiks  are 
supposed  to  'keep  themselves,'  but  I  never  pass  the 
butler's  pantry  that  I  don't  see  one  of  them  eating,  or 
drinking  tea.  To  be  sure,  they  get  very  small  wages, 
so  I  don't  blame  them  for  picking  up  all  they  can." 

"  There  is  such  an  infinite  number  of  them  in  every 
house  which  I  enter,"  said  my  companion.  "They 
seem  to  be  employed  to  wait  on  the  other  servants." 

"  So  they  are.  We  have  one  for  the  butler,  one  for 
the  cook,  one  to  trim  the  lamps  and  take  care  of  the 
fires,  and  one  to  polish  the  floors.  I  don't  know  the 
exact  number,  but  I  am  continually  coming  upon  long- 
haired and  bearded  figures,  in  high  boots  and  gay- 
colored  shirts,  who  draw  themselves  up  against  the  wall 
and  murmur  '  Zdrasty '  as  I  pass.  I  feel  as  if  I  were  in 
a  theatre  all  the  time." 

"  On  the  whole,  you  would  not  fancy  housekeeping  in 
this  country  ?  "  looking  at  me  sharply. 


EPIPHANY.  119 


"  I  don't  say  that,"  I  answered  impatiently,  tapping 
my  heels  on  the  floor.  "  Why  did  we  come  here  instead 
of  stopping  to  look  at  the  pictures  ?  " 

"  Because  you  preferred  to  come  down,"  he  responded, 
with  a  touch  of  annoyance. 

"  Ah,  here  is  Vasili !  "  I  cried.  "  If  you  do  not 
mind,"  turning  to  Mr.  Thurber,  "  I  will  take  you  with 
me  in  the  sledge.  It  is  extremely  improper,  but  if  I 
wrap  my  collar  well  about  my  face,  no  one  will  know 
that  I  am  not  Grace  ;  and  a  married  woman  may  do 
anything  she  likes." 

"  I  believe  no  one  cares  enough  about  me  to  criticise 
me,"  he  replied,  stepping  into  the  sledge  after  me. 

"  It  seems  absurd  for  us  not  to  go  together  when  our 
destination  is  the  same." 

Reaching  home,  we  found  the  family  sitting  over  the 
remains  of  luncheon,  George  bearing  them  company.  I 
fell  to  at  once,  with  a  good  appetite. 

Suddenly  Tom  exclaimed,  "  By  the  way,  how  did  you 
and  Thurber  happen  to  arrive  at  the  same  instant  ? " 

"  Because  we  came  in  the  same  sledge,  I  suppose,"  I 
answered  calmly. 

"No!'"  cried  Tom.  "I  wonder  you  were  not  afraid 
Thurber  would  run  away  with  you." 

"  Don't  try  to  be  funny,"  I  responded,  peacefully  eat- 
ing my  kalatch.  "Mr.  Thurber  has  had  no  lunch. 
Why  don't  you  offer  him  some  tea  ?  " 

"  Will  you  give  it  to  him  ?  "  said  Grace.  "Judith  and 
I  have  to  go  out,  and  Vasili  is  waiting." 

"  I  will  "  ;  and  I  approached  the  samovar,  while  Grace 


120  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

and  Judith  took  their  departure.  George  went  to  the 
door  with  them,  and  then  returned  to  his  old  position  in 
front  of  the  sideboard.  I  gave  a  sly  glance  at  him,  and 
thought  he  seemed  depressed. 

"  Tom,"  I  cried  abruptly,  "  do  you  know  what  I  was 
thinking  of  the  other  day  at  the  christening?  " 

"  No."     My  brother-in-law  was  all  eager  attention. 

"  I  was  wondering  what  Uncle  John  would  have  said 
had  he  been  there." 

Tom  gave  one  of  his  hearty  laughs,  —  not  a  "  parlor 
laugh,"  as  Judith  says,  but  very  contagious  and  pleasant 
to  hear. 

"  I  hope  you  did  n't  suggest  that  to  Alice." 

"  I  did,  and  she  looked  horrified." 

"  I  should  think  so.  You  ought  to  see  Uncle  John  " 
(turning  to  Mr.  Thurber),  "  to  appreciate  this." 

"  He  is  a  most  worthy  old  man,"  I  continued,  "  but 
not  exactly  the  kind  that  one  would  wish  to  present  at 
court  as  a  relative." 

"  I  don't  know  that  he  is  a  worthy  old  man,"  broke  in 
Tom.  "  He  is  an  old  miser." 

"  But  a  good  Baptist,"  I  persisted.  "  He  generally 
sits  in  the  kitchen,  with  his  feet  on  the  stove,  chewing 
tobacco,  in  the  winter.  In  warm  weather  he  occupies 
the  '  pyazzy,'  as  he  calls  it,  and  goes  without  a  coat." 

"  What  an  eccentric  person  !  "  remarked  Mr.  Thurber. 

"  Once  a  year,"  I  continued,  stopping  to  drink  my  tea 
before  I  finished  the  sentence,  "  he  used  to  make  a  raid 
upon  us.  He  came  to  the  city  for  a  change.  He  al- 
ways arrived  when  we  least  expected  him.  He  never 


EPIPHANY.  121 


shaved  oftener  than  once  a  week.  What  overcoats  he 
wore  !  and  oh,  how  ashamed  we  used  to  be  of  him  !  " 

Tom  and  I  laughed  in  concert,  and  George  joined  us. 
Mr.  Thurber's  face  wore  a  polite  smile. 

"  But  if  you  slighted  Uncle  John,"  I  went  on,  watch- 
ing the  Englishman  intently,  but  telling  my  story  in  a 
half-laughing  way,  "  he  talked  about  your  being  '  stuck 
up,'  and  '  feeling  big,'  and  '  he  guessed  he  was  as  good 
as  any  one ! '  What  a  contrast,"  I  sighed,  "  between 
him  and  the  Grand  Duchess  Vladimir !  So  little  pre- 
tension in  her,  so  much  in  him  !  Uncle  John  would 
feel  sure  that  he  was  as  important  a  personage  as  the 
Emperor,  if  he  were  to  come  here.  I  would  like  to 
know  what  they  would  all  think  of  him." 

"  Let  us  hope,"  said  George,  "  that  the  old  gentleman 
will  not  take  it  into  his  head  to  visit  Russia." 

I  shuddered.  "  What  a  mercy  that  he  is  so  stingy, 
else  he  would  undoubtedly  come." 

"  Has  he  much  money?  " 

"I  don't  know.  Tom  thinks  so,  because  he  never 
spends  any." 

Mr.  Thurber  looked  slightly  bored. 

"  There  !  "  I  said  mentally,  "  the  story  of  Uncle  John 
has  disgusted  him,  and  I  am  spared  the  disagreeable 
task  of  refusing  him.  Undeceiving  him  as  to  my  being 
an  heiress  perhaps  had  some  weight,  but  Uncle  John 
has  certainly  turned  the  scales." 

While  I  was  reflecting  on  this,  and  finishing  my  lunch 
in  silence,  scarcely  hearing  what  the  others  said,  I  found 
George  watching  me  intently.  Could  it  have  been  my 


122  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

imagination  which  made  me  think  he  looked  sorry  for 
me  ?  I  cannot  tell ;  the  expression  vanished  so  quickly 
that  I  hardly  know  by  what  word  to  describe  it.  I 
smiled  as  I  met  his  eye,  and  inquired,  "  Why  do  you 
look  at  me  so  earnestly  ?  " 

"  I  am  thinking,"  he  answered  slowly,  "  that  un- 
doubtedly you  are  a  good  judge  of  character;  but  do 
not  make  a  mistake  and  judge  too  hastily." 

Tom  and  Mr.  Thurber  were  deep  in  a  question  of 
Eastern  politics.  I  looked  at  George  interrogatively. 
"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Only  what  I  say,"  was  his  answer ;  and  this  was  all 
the  satisfaction  he  gave  me. 


TROIKA    PARTIES.  12$ 


CHAPTER   X. 

TROIKA     PARTIES. 

January  23. 
"XT  7HAT  is  one  to  do  with  a  man  who  will  not  take 

*  *  No  for  an  answer  ?  Ever  since  my  conversa- 
tion with  Mr.  Thurber,  recorded  on  a  previous  page,  he 
has  constituted  himself  my  cavalier  servante.  I  never 
go  anywhere  that  he  does  not  follow  ;  I  never  express  a 
wish  for  anything  that  he  does  not  attempt  to  gratify  it. 
When  he  is  talking  to  me,  the  other  people  who  happen 
to  be  in  the  room  leave  us  altogether  out  of  their  con- 
versation ;  and  when  he  joins  us  in  our  walks,  I  am 
invariably  left  to  walk  with  him.  In  vain  I  struggle  to 
impress  people  with  the  idea  that  I  do  not  prefer  Mr. 
Thurber's  company  to  all  others.  I  am  met  with  an  in- 
dulgent smile ;  and,  most  significant  of  all,  Tom  has 
ceased  to  chaff  me !  They  all  seem  to  take  it  for 
granted  that  we  are  in  love  with  each  other ;  and  the 
cool  way  in  which  Mr.  Thurber  appropriates  me  is  irri-  • 
tating  beyond  measure. 

Alice  had  invited  a  few  friends  to  dinner  one  night. 
She  and  Grace  sat  down  with  a  sheet  of  paper  and  a  pen- 
cil, to  decide  where  the  guests  should  be  placed.  I  was 
about  to  go  for  a  drive  with  Judith ;  but  I  determined  to 
give  them  something  to  ponder  over  while  I  was  out. 


124  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"I  don't  care  how  you  seat  the  people,"  I  said  quietly, 
as  I  reached  the  door;  then,  turning  towards  them  to 
give  full  effect  to  my  words,  "  but  if  you  put  me  beside 
Mr.  Thurber,  I  will  never  show  myself  at  another  of 
your  dinner  parties."  So  saying,  I  left  the  room  ab- 
ruptly, and  waited  in  the  sledge  for  Judith. 

There  was  a  little  pout  on  her  face  when  she  appeared. 
We  were  muffled  up  so  that  we  could  not  move  our 
heads  ;  and  my  cousin's  voice  was  almost  lost  in  her 
capacious  fur  collar  when  she  began  to  speak  to  me. 

"  You  are  ruining  the  dinner,"  were  the  words  which 
at  last  reached  my  ears.  "  Russians  do  not  like  the 
English ;  and  if  you  put  him  beside  either  of  those 
Russian  ladies,  they  will  not  speak  to  him  "  (the  rest 
was  lost). 

"  If  you  mean  Mr.  Thurber,"  I  responded,  "  I  don't 
know  why  he  should  have  been  asked  at  all.  I  did  not 
want  him;  and  I  don't  see  why  he  cannot  be  put  between 
you  and  Grace.  You  are  not  Russians,  and  you  don't 
dislike  Englishmen." 

"  But,  dear  Dorris !  (earnestly)  I  have  to  sit  next 
Prince  Tucheff.  Grace  is  on  your  side  of  the  table,  and 
will  be  on  Mr.  Thurber's  right ;  and  if  he  sits  by  me, 
George  must  go  between  you  and  Grace,  and  that  will 
make  things  all  wrong." 

"Oh!  "  I  cried,  with  some  asperity,  "let  him  sit  next 
me,  by  all  means.  I  prefer  him  to  George,  if  I  must  have 
a  choice  of  evils." 

"  I  think,"  said  my  companion,  "  that  you  might  have 
confessed  your  preference  for  Mr.  Thurber  at  once,  in- 


TROIKA    PARTIES.  12$ 

stead  of  playing  indifference.  I  knew  you  would  not  be 
satisfied  unless  you  had  him." 

Her  gay  laugh  rang  out  on  the  frosty  air. 

"Judith,"  I  responded  severely,  "your  remarks  are 
not  only  in  bad  taste,  but  they  are  unkind.  Why  every 
one  "  (growing  peevish  in  my  tone)  "  should  take  it  for 
granted  that  I  am  in  love  with  that  Englishman,  I  fail  to 
see  !  " 

I  knew  by  Judith's  voice  when  she  replied  that  she 
was  smothering  her  laughter.  "  Because  you  are  so 
touchy  about  him." 

"  Nonsense ! "  cried  I  sharply,  and  then  subsided  into 
silence,  which  seemed  to  be  my  only  refuge. 

When  we  reached  home  we  found  George  in  the  ante- 
room, bandaging  the  leg  of  a  brown  setter,  of  which  he 
is  very  fond.  His  occupation  was  so  absorbing  that  he 
noticed  us  only  by  a  bow  ;  and  we  joined  the  group  of 
admiring  moujiks  who  were  watching  the  operation.  The 
leg  was  apparently  badly  injured  ;  and  George  was  as 
tender  as  a  woman  in  his  way  of  handling  it,  and  even 
to  my  unpractised  eye  betrayed  much  skill.  Slowly  and 
carefully  he  finished  his  task,  then  made  the  dog  lie 
down,  and  turned  his  attention  to  us. 

"  An  experienced  surgeon  could  hardly  have  done  it 
better  than  that,"  he  said  to  Judith  ;  then  addressing 
me,  — 

"  The  dog  was  run  over  just  under  your  window,  and  I 
brought  him  in  at  once.  I  hope  you  don't  mind  my 
making  a  hospital  of  the  house  ?  "  with  a  smile. 

"Poor  fellow!"    said  Judith,    addressing  the    dog, 


126  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

before  I  had  time    to  answer.      "Will  you   leave  him 
here  ? " 

'•  Oh,  no.     I  shall  take  him  with  me." 

"  But  you  are  coming  in  first  ?  "  I  said,  walking  to- 
wards the  drawing-room  door. 

They  both  followed.  Judith,  seeming  to  be  pos- 
sessed with  a  spirit  of  mischief,  immediately  began  ta 
speak. 

"  Dorris  and  I  have  just  had  another  quarrel." 

I  smiled.  I  had  almost  recovered  from  my  annoyance, 
so  I  could  afford  to  do  so. 

"  A  very  serious  one  !  "  I  exclaimed,  tossing  my  hat 
on  a  table,  and  pushing  my  hair  away  from  my  forehead, 
while  Judith  sat  down,  and  began  slowly  to  pull  off  her 
gloves. 

"  One  of  you,"  said  George,  "  is  a  dangerous  person 
to  live  with,  —  or  is  it  both  ?  " 

"  It  is  Dorris,  of  course." 

"  Quite  true,"  I  responded  meekly.  "  I  am  generally 
in  fault." 

"  Oh,  I  was  only  joking,"  cried  my  cousin.  "  One 
cannot  quarrel  alone.  But,"  she  added,  with  a  loving 
little  smile,  "  we  don't  disagree  much,  after  all.  I  am 
not  afraid  of  Dorris  :  I  tell  her  what  I  think,  and  then 
she  forgives  me.  A  quarrel  with  you,"  turning  to 
George,  "  would  be  a  much  more  serious  matter." 

He  was  looking  over  some  photographs  which  lay  on 
the  table,  and  paid  no  attention  to  Judith's  remark,  ex- 
cept to  say,  in  rather  an  absent  manner,  "  Why  ?  " 

"  I  think,"  she  answered  reflectively,  "  that  it  would 


TROIKA    PARTIES.  I2/ 

take  a  great  deal  to  make  you  angry,  but  that  when 
your  wrath  is  once  aroused,  it  is  deep.  I  should  say  it 
would  be  difficult  for  you  to  forgive." 

He  was  looking  attentively  at  one  of  the  pictures, 
turned  it  round  to  see  the  artist's  name  on  the  back, 
and  then  showed  it  to  me.  "  When  did  you  have  this 
taken  ? " 

"  Just  before  I  left  America." 

"  It  is  very  poor."  And  before  I  could  say  "  Thank 
you  !  "  he  spoke  abruptly  to  Judith  :  "  So  you  think  that 
I  am  unforgiving?  What  does  Miss  Dorris  Romilly 
think  ? "  playing  absently  with  the  photograph,  and 
speaking  as  if  his  mind  were  somewhere  else. 

Judith  broke  in,  as  I  was  hesitating  what  to  reply,  "  I 
know  what  she  is  going  to  say.  She  is  preparing  to  tell 
you,  in  her  most  sarcastic  manner,  that  she  has  never 
thought  about  it  at  all." 

George  laughed,  with  a  tinge  of  bitterness. 

"  Why  should  she  think  about  it  ?  "  looking  at  me 
with  what  seemed  like  unnecessary  earnestness.  "  I 
was  insufferably  conceited  to  imagine  that  she  had  given 
an  instant's  attention  to  such  an  insignificant  subject  as 
my  character." 

"  If  I  had  done  so,"  said  I,  smothering  a  yawn,  "  doubt- 
less you  suppose  that  my  judgment  of  you  would  be 
different  from  Judith's." 

"  Yes,"  resuming  the  study  of  the  photograph.  "  If 
you  have  any  opinion  of  me,  I  should  say  it  was  not  a 
favorable  one." 

"Why  do  you  say  that?"  I  asked,  beginning  to  feel 
interested. 


128  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  If  I  answered  that  question,  I  should  be  wandering 
very  far  frorh  the  original  subject  of  conversation,  for  I 
should  tell  you  something  about  yourself." 

"  Oh,  pray  tell  it !  "  cried  Judith.  "  I  would  like  to 
hear  it." 

"  Perhaps  Miss  Dorris  would  not." 

"  Disagreeable  truths  are  generally  useful  things  to 
hear.  I  am  not  afraid  of  them,"  said  I,  in  an  indifferent 
tone,  leaning  my  head  against  the  back  of  my  chair  and 
half  closing  my  eyes. 

"  This  is  not  very  disagreeable,"  pursued  Count  Piloff, 
biting  his  mustache,  and  looking  at  me  rather  uneasily. 
"I  was  only  going  to  say  that  you  impress  me  as  a 
young  woman  who  wraps  herself  in  cold  indifference, 
and  looks  down  from  the  pedestal  in  calm  criticism  upon 
us,  poor  struggling  mortals.  As  I  am  a  vast  distance 
below  your  level,  you  would  naturally  find  much  to  con- 
demn and  little  to  commend  in  me." 

He  stopped  ;  I  opened  my  eyes  to  their  widest  extent, 
and  gave  him  one  look ;  then  tried,  unsuccessfully,  to 
resume  my  nonchalant  manner.  He  met  my  glance 
coldly,  with  a  half-smile  on  his  face.  He  could  have 
said  nothing  which  would  have  made  me  so  angry  as  to 
insinuate  that  I  set  myself  up  as  superior  to  all  the 
world.  That  was  unmistakably  his  meaning,  politely 
expressed. 

Inwardly  fuming,  I  strove  to  be  outwardly  calm  as  I 
answered,  after  a  moment's  pause,  during  which  both  of 
my  companions  looked  at  me  expectantly,  "You  were 
right  in  saying  it  was  '  not  very  disagreeable.'  You 


TROIKA   PARTIES.  129 

only  mean  that  I  think  myself  better  than  other  people. 
I  dare  say  that  is  true." 

"  Indeed,  it  is  not  true,"  cried  Judith  indignantly. 
"The  only  trouble  with  Dorris  is  that  she  sees  her 
faults  too  plainly  for  her  own  happiness." 

"Well,"  I  said,  laughing,  "  I  must  be  a  very  enigmati- 
cal person,  to  call  forth  two  opinions  so  exactly  the 
opposite  of  each  other." 

George  looked  from  me  to  Judith,  and  from  her  back 
again  to  me,  with  a  covert  amusement  in  his  face  which 
puzzled  me. 

"I  know  you  better  than  Count  Piloff  does,"  insisted 
my  champion,  with  a  brilliant  red  spot  in  each  cheek. 

He  smiled.  "You  asked  me  for  my  opinion,  Miss 
Judith,  and  now  you  are  finding  fault  with  me  for 
giving  it." 

"No,  not  for  giving  it]  for  having  such  an  utterly 
foolish  one." 

Here  we  all  laughed,  and  Judith  said,  "  I  insist  upon 
your  telling  him  what  you  think  about  him,  Dorris, — 
whether  you  agree  with  me  that  he  is  unforgiving." 

"  But  has  she  not  already  allowed  that  she  has  never 
given  the  subject  a  thought?" 

"  No,"  said  I  hastily  ;  "  it  was  you  who  said  that.  I 
did  not  agree  to  it." 

"  Very  well,  then.     Let  us  hear  it." 

"  I  was  only  going  to  say,"  I  began  slowly,  "  that  you 
have  too  little  depth  of  feeling  to  be  unforgiving.  It  is 
not  so  politely  expressed  as  your  opinion  of  me,  but  it 
is  quite  as  flattering." 


130  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

A  slight  tinge  of  red  mounted  to  George's  forehead, 
and  a  look  which  I  should  have  called  pain  in  any  other 
person,  but  which  in  him  I  translated  vexation,  came 
into  his  eyes.  He  spoke  at  once,  quite  earnestly,  — 

"  You  are  very,  very  much  mistaken,  Miss  Romilly. 
I  almost  wish  you  were  right." 

"  You  know  nothing  about  each  other,"  said  Judith 
quickly,  "  and  the  best  thing  you  can  both  do  is  to  be- 
come acquainted  immediately." 

"  Miss  Romilly  will  never  become  acquainted  with  me, 
—  she  has  too  great  a  contempt  for  me,"  said  George,  with 
a  laugh  from  which  all  trace  of  vexation  had  vanished. 

"  Count  Piloff  will  never  know  me  any  better,  —  he 
considers  me  too  self-righteous,"  said  I,  resuming  a 
careless  manner. 

Presently  he  threw  down  the  pictures  which  he  had 
been  fingering,  started  up,  and  came  over  to  my  chair, 
looking  down  on  me  with  a  thoughtful  smile.  "You 
have  no  idea  how  happy  I  am." 

"  I  am  glad,  but  I  fail  to  discover  the  cause,"  I  re- 
sponded, looking  up  at  him  inquiringly. 

"  Because,"  gazing  at  me  critically,  as  if  something 
about  me  interested  him,  "  I  am  to  take  you  out  to  din- 
ner to-night,  and  then  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  of 
showing  you  —  if  you  are  open  to  conviction  —  that  my 
feelings  are  deeper  than  you  think." 

"  How  do  you  know  you  are  to  take  me  out  ? " 

"  Alice  told  me  so.  She  said  that  you  were  so  sensi- 
tive as  to  a  certain  young  man  whose  name  has  been 
mentioned  once  or  twice  lately  in  connection  with  yours, 


TROIKA   PARTIES.  131 

that  of  two  evils,  —  his  company  or  mine,  —  you  chose 
mine." 

Judith  began  to  shake  with  suppressed  laughter. 
Count  Piloff  leaned  against  the  mantel,  and  looked  at 
us  both  as  if  we  were  interesting  studies  of  human 
nature. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at,  Judith  ? "  I  asked. 

"Nothing,  only  —  " 

A  look  of  responsive  amusement  flashed  into  the 
young  man's  eyes.  "  Perhaps  your  cousin  used  the 
same  expression  that  I  did  about  the  two  evils  ? "  he 
interrogated  Judith. 

She  burst  into  a  peal  of  laughter,  and  I,  feeling  very 
red  and  foolish,  was  obliged  to  join  her.  At  last  she 
began  to  make  apologies.  "  But  you  see  —  it  was  so 
funny !  I  will  tell  him,  Dorris.  He  thinks  we  are  so 
rude  to  laugh  this  way.  Besides  "  (looking  at  George, 
who  was  perfectly  grave),  "  you  will  not  mind,  I  am  sure, 
if  I  tell  you.  Dorris  said  —  " 

"Judith,"  I  remonstrated,  "this  is  childish  !" 

She  paid  no  attention  to  me.  "  Dorris  said  that  of 
two  evils  she  chose  the  least,  which  was  —  Mr.  Thur- 
ber." 

We  laughed  no  more.  Judith  was  too  much  fright- 
ened, now  that  she  had  said  it,  and  I  was  too  vexed.  I 
did  not  look  at  George,  and  for  an  instant  he  said  noth- 
ing. Then  in  his  ordinary  manner  he  remarked,  "  I  am 
disappointed  :  now  Miss  Romilly  will  always  think  that 
I  have  no  feeling.  I  must  run  away  and  hide  my  dimin- 
ished head,"  he  added,  taking  his  hat  from  the  table. 


132  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

Conquering  my  pride,  and  walking  up  to  him  with  a 
smile  which  was  meant  to  be  conciliatory,  and  holding 
out  my  hand,  I  said,  "I  am  very  rude  sometimes.  I 
hope  you  are  not  as  unforgiving  as  Judith  thinks  you 
are." 

Taking  my  proffered  hand,  he  answered,  "  Even  if  I 
were,  it  would  be  easy  to  forgive  you  for  preferring 
Thurber  to  me.  I  shall  see  you  this  evening.  Au 
revoir"  and  he  was  gone. 

"  O  Judith,"  I  cried,  "  what  have  you  done  ? " 

"  I  know  it,"  she  responded,  looking  somewhat  fright- 
ened and  very  penitent.  "  I  am  so  sorry  !  "  putting  an 
arm  round  my  waist.  "  Never  mind  ;  it  will  do  him  no 
harm." 

"  But  it  sounded  so  ill-bred  of  me/'  I  returned  discon- 
solately. "  However,  I  will  not  make  myself  unhappy 
about  it." 

"  I  don't  think  he  cared,"  Judith  added  consolingly. 
"  He  did  not  seem  to  care." 

That  was  not  what  I  feared.  I  knew  that  no  remark 
of  mine  could  have  the  power  to  wound  George's  feel- 
ings ;  but  I  did  not  wish  any  one  to  think  me  rude. 

But  the  occurrence  had  almost  ceased  to  trouble  me 
when,  at  seven  o'clock  that  evening,  we  arrived  at  Alice's 
door  and  joined  the  other  guests.  There  were  only  a 
few  minutes  for  conversation  before  dinner  was  an- 
nounced, and  Mr.  Thurber  took  possession  of  me.  We 
followed  the  others  through  a  large  salon,  stopped  in  a 
small  room  preceding  the  dining-room,  where  a  table 
was  spread  with  caviare,  sandwiches,  cheese,  dried  fish, 
vadka,  and  some  cordials. 


TROIKA    PARTIES.  133 

"This  is  the  zakouschka,  I  suppose,"  I  said  inquir- 
ingly ;  and  Mr.  Thurber  assented. 

"  It  is  expected  to  sharpen  the  appetite,"  he  added  ; 
"  but  I  advise  you  not  to  try  it  with  a  view  to  that  effect. 
You  will  be  unable  to  enjoy  your  dinner." 

"  Why  don't  we  sit  down  for  this  repast  ? "  I  asked. 

"  Because  it  only  occupies  a  few  minutes." 

"  Well,  I  like  caviare,  and  I  shall  take  some,  please." 

Before  I  had  finished  the  plateful  which  he  brought 
me,  I  was  obliged  to  abandon  it,  and  follow  the  others 
into  the  dining-room. 

Much  to  my  disappointment,  the  dinner  was  not  char- 
acteristically Russian.  The  people  who  give  dinners  in 
Petersburg  have  French  cooks,  so  there  is  no  opportu- 
nity to  taste  the  national  dishes.  I  felt  like  doing  some- 
thing exciting;  a  spirit  of  recklessness  entered  into  me, 
and  I  looked  about  for  a  good  opening.  Talking  with 
Mr.  Thurber  was  commonplace ;  I  was  too  far  from 
George  to  begin  a  discussion  with  him,  —  besides,  he 
looked  too  coldly  indifferent  to  be  aroused.  On  my  left 
sat  a  handsome  Russian.  I  discovered,  after  a  second 
glance,  that  he  was  the  same  person  who  had  been  so 
attentive  to  me  at  the  Grand  Duke's  christening.  A 
sudden  thought  struck  me,  —  I  would  make  Mr.  Thurber 
jealous ! 

I  turned  at  once  to  my  Russian  neighbor,  and  began 
a  lively  conversation  with  him.  He  was  rather  young, 
and  I  tried  several  subjects  before  I  found  one  on  which 
it  pleased  him  to  talk  ;  and  that  subject  was  —  postage 
stamps  !  The  collection  which  he  had,  and  that  which 


134  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

his  brother  had,  and  that  which  he  hoped  to  have  in  the 
course  of  years,  all  this  was  poured  into  my  sympathetic 
ear.  I  inclined  my  head  towards  him,  listening  with  an 
air  of  absorbed  attention,  and  hardly  stopping  to  taste 
the  various  articles  which  were  placed  before  me.  I 
presented  the  back  of  my  head  persistently  to  Mr.  Thur- 
ber.  I  hardly  looked  away  from  the  young  Russian, 
and  he  neglected  his  other  neighbor  shamefully.  Once 
or  twice  I  cast  a  furtive  glance  at  Judith ;  but  she  did  not 
meet  my  eye.  Once  I  caught  George  actually  scowling 
at  me;  but  he  turned  his  eyes  away  quickly  when  I 
looked  at  him. 

Towards  the  end  of  dinner,  I  concluded  to  see  how 
Mr.  Thurber  bore  my  neglect ;  and,  bracing  up  my 
courage  to  endure  the  sight  of  his  wrath,  I  turned 
towards  him.  Grace  was  next  on  his  other  side,  and 
then  my  friend,  the  ambassador.  Mr.  Thurber  was  sip- 
ping his  champagne,  and  replying  to  some  remark  of 
the  latter's. 

"  Undoubtedly,  if  the  tax  were  put  in  that  form,  it 
would  be  more  beneficial." 

"  What  form  ? "  I  inquired. 

He  started.  "I  was  discussing  a  subject  of  slight 
importance  to  you  ladies,"  he  answered  calmly.  "  But  I 
intended  to  ask  you  what  you  thought  of  this  claret.  I 
find  it  delicious." 

"  I  have  not  noticed,"  I  replied. 

His  manner  was  the  reverse  of  annoyed.  He  seemed 
pleased  with  himself,  with  me,  with  every  one,  and,  above 
all,  with  the  claret.  Decidedly,  my  plan  for  making  him 


TROIKA   PARTIES.  135 

jealous  had  not  been  a  success ;  and  I  now  found  Mr. 
Cheremenieff  and  his  stamps  doubly  tiresome. 

I  was  eating  my  ice  in  silence,  deserted  for  the  mo- 
ment by  both  neighbors,  when  Mr.  Thurber's  voice  broke 
upon  my  ear  :  — 

"  Russian  women  are  extremely  brilliant,  and  are  also 
good  talkers  ;  but  there  are  no  women  as  beautiful  as 
Americans,  you  know." 

I  was  forced  to  admit  that  he  was  right,  judging 
from  those  who  were  present.  "  What  a  pity,"  I  ex- 
claimed, "  that  they  do  not  always  behave  as  well  as  they 
look  ! " 

"  Do  they  not  ?  "  asked  my  companion. 

"  What  an  unnecessary  question  for  a  man  who  has 
travelled  as  much  as  you  have  !  " 

At  that  moment  Alice  rose  from  the  table,  and  we 
were  obliged  to  follow  her  example.  The  gentlemen 
accompanied  the  ladies  back  to  the  drawing-room. 
Mr.  Thurber  looked  at  me  inquiringly. 

"Do  you  allow  me  to  follow  the  Russian  custom  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  What  custom  ?  "  said  I,  somewhat  puzzled. 

He  pointed  to  Prince  Tucheff,  who  was  kissing  Ju- 
dith's hand,  and  murmuring  something  about  ''  mille 
remerciements,"  and  who  repeated  the  performance 
with  Alice.  All  the  gentlemen  followed  his  example, 
thanking  the  ladies  whom  they  had  escorted,  and  then 
the  hostess  in  the  same  manner.  The  Russian  ladies 
also  approached  Alice,  shook  hands  with  and  thanked 
her. 


136  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

After  watching  the  others  I  turned  to  Mr.  Thurber, 
who  stood  at  my  side,  the  picture  of  patience. 

"  Hand-kissing  is  a  supremely  foolish  custom.  Don't 
you  think  so  ? " 

"  Yes,"  he  answered  impassively.     "  I  do." 

Visions  of  this  stiff  Englishman  kissing  my  hand  ran 
through  my  head,  and  amused  me.  Coffee  was  served, 
and  Mr.  Thurber  wended  his  way  to  the  smoking-room, 
with  most  of  the  gentlemen  and  one  of  the  ladies.  Ju- 
dith brought  her  cup  of  coffee  over  to  where  I  sat,  on  a 
tiny  sofa,  and  placed  herself  beside  me.  She  fixed  two 
lustrous  gray  eyes  on  me,  with  an  indefinable  expression 
in  their  depths. 

"  Dorris  Romilly,"  she  exclaimed  earnestly,  "  never, 
never  as  long  as  you  live,  talk  to  me  again  about  being 
a  coquette." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  I  asked  stupidly.  "  What 
are  you  talking  about  ?  " 

"  You  !  The  way  you  ignored  that  poor  man's  feel- 
ings, and  encouraged  that  uninteresting  little  boy  until 
he  entirely  lost  his  head  ! " 

I  laughed  softly.  "  I  was  only  trying  to  create  a  little 
excitement,  but  I  did  not  mean  to  excite  you." 

"  Excite  me  !  Why,  I  was  simply  struck  dumb.  You, 
who  scorn  a  flirt !  You,  who  have  lectured  me  by  the 
hour  together  for  things  not  half  as  bad  as  this  !  Upon 
my  word,  Dorris,  it  is  too  bad,  when  you  know  that 
Mr.  Thurber  is  in  love  with  you." 

"  But  he  did  not  care,  after  all,"  I  said  dolefully ;  and 
looking  up,  I  saw  that  a  part  of  our  conversation  had 


TROIKA   PARTIES.  137 

been  overheard  by  George,  who  stood  patiently  await- 
ing a  chance  to  speak. 

"Are  my  services  required  as  peacemaker?"  he  asked. 

"  You  are  to  scold  Dorris  for  having  suddenly  devel- 
oped into  a  coquette." 

"  I  cannot,"  he  answered  gravely,  "  for  I  don't  think 
she  has." 

"  Then  you  did  not  observe  her  at  dinner  ? " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  observed  her  very  closely  ; 
but  I  have  also  noticed  her  on  former  occasions,  and  I 
don't  think  the  quality  has  developed  suddenly.  All 
women  are  natural  coquettes." 

"  I  cannot  listen  to  such  nonsense,"  said  Judith, 
while  my  face  burned  painfully,  and  I  mentally  pro- 
nounced George  more  disagreeable  than  usual. 

"  Will  you  come  and  see  that  collection  of  arms  which 
we  were  talking  about  ? "  he  asked,  with  a  sudden 
change  of  tone,  looking  at  Judith. 

She  immediately  rose  to  follow  him. 

Turning  to  me  he  added,  as  if  it  were  a  second 
thought,  "  Will  you  come  ?  " 

"  No,  thank  you,"  I  answered  ungraciously,  keeping 
my  seat,  and  helping  myself  to  a  cup  of  tea  which  was 
offered  me. 

The  guests  soon  began  to  take  their  departure,  and 
by  half-past  nine  no  one  was  left  there  except  the 
family. 

"  I  suppose  we  must  go  home  too,"  said  Tom  re- 
luctantly. "  Do  your  dinner-parties  generally  break  up 
as  early  as  this  ?  " 


138  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  Generally,"  responded  Alice  ;  "  but  don't  go.  We 
wish  to  talk  over  our  troika  party." 

Tom  was  all  enthusiasm  immediately  ;  and  before  we 
left  it  was  agreed  that  we  should  meet  at  Alice's  for 
our  troika  ride,  at  nine  o'clock  the  next  evening. 

When  the  night  came  it  was  bright  starlight,  and  the 
mercury  stood  ten  degrees  above  zero.  We  started  in 
seven  troikas,  shortly  after  nine.  Our  driver  wore  the 
traditional  peasant's  cap ;  his  face  was  deeply  bronzed, 
while  his  beard  and  hair  were  a  few  shades  darker. 
Madame  Kirovieff,  —  who  is  five  years  my  junior,  as  I 
afterwards  discovered,  —  Tom,  Mr.  Thurber,  and  Sacha, 
were  in  the  vehicle  with  me. 

We  were  wrapped  up  to  our  eyes,  our  feet  put  into 
fur  muffs,  the  robes  tucked  in  about  us,  and  off  we 
started,  with  a  yell  from  the  driver  and  a  whoop  from 
Tom.  That  young  man  behaved  as  if  he  were  not  more 
than  ten  years  old.  He  screamed  at  the  driver  in  Rus- 
sian, —  of  which  he  knows  about  six  words,  —  and  every 
time  I  opened  my  mouth  to  remonstrate,  he  insisted 
upon  it  that  I  should  take  cold  if  I  spoke,  and  drowned 
my  voice  in  a  sea  of  warnings. 

Once  outside  the  city,  with  a  clear  road  ahead, 
the  driver  emitted  a  series  of  whoops,  and  started  the 
horses  off  at  a  rattling  pace.  The  gentlemen  all  began 
calling  to  him,  and  I  supposed  they  were  heaping  abuse 
upon  his  head  ;  but  when  it  was  translated  I  was  re- 
lieved to  find  that  the  most  severe  remark  they  had 
made  was,  "  Go  on,  my  beauty !  "  Away  we  flew,  over 
the  sparkling  snow,  to  the  islands  ;  past  empty  houses, 


TROIKA    PARTIES.  139 

making  the  echoes  ring  with  our  gay  voices,  and  some 
times  arousing  a  sleeping  dog,  whose  startled  bark 
brought  forth  such  a  series  of  howls  from  our  equipage 
that  he  was  forced  to  retire. 

We  were  nearly  three  quarters  of  an  hour  in  reaching 
our  destination,  —  a  place  on  one  of  the  islands,  called 
Samarcand.  Leaving  our  troikas  in  the  court-yard  of  a 
restaurant,  we  walked  a  short  distance  to  some  ice-hills, 
which  were  lighted  with  Chinese  lanterns.  A  flight  of 
steps  about  thirty  feet  high  took  us  into  a  sort  of  pa- 
vilion. As  I  stood  at  the  head  of  the  steps,  I  beheld 
the  glissade  in  front  of  me.  It  made  my  blood  run 
cold  to  look  at  it.  It  was  four  or  five  feet  broad,  built 
of  wood,  covered  with  smooth  ice,  and  sloping  at  an 
angle  of  forty-five  degrees.  After  reaching  the  ground, 
it  continued  its  course  on  a  level  for  some  distance, 
until  another  flight  of  steps  was  reached,  leading  to 
another  pavilion,  from  which  one  could  slide  back  to  the 
starting-place.  The  two  courses  ran  side  by  side,  and 
were  divided  by  a  low  wooden  railing.  Rows  of  Chi- 
nese lanterns  illuminated  the  scene. 

When  I  looked  down  that  steep  slope  of  ice,  my 
heart  failed  me,  and  I  meekly  said  I  would  wait  there 
and  rest,  while  the  others  went  down.  There  was  some 
laughter  at  my  expense,  and  not  the  slightest  attention 
was  paid  to  my  objections. 

A  sled  with  two  seats  was  produced,  and  I  was  put  be- 
hind Judith.  Nicolas  took  the  seat  beside  me,  wrapped 
his  arm  tightly  around  me,  and  off  we  pitched  !  It  was 
such  a  frightful  moment  when  we  started  that  I  did 


140  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

not  even  scream.  I  felt  as  if  my  last  hour  had  come.  I 
rem'ember  to  have  dreamed  once  that  I  was  falling  down 
a  bottomless  abyss  ;  and  certainly,  I  thought  the  dream 
was  being  realized  in  the  few  seconds  it  took  us  to  de- 
scend that  hill.  Such  a  horrible,  feeling  as  came  over 
me  I  hope  never  to  experience  again.  Yet  people  do 
this  for  pleasure ! 

When  we  reached  the  end  of  the  slide,  I  begged  Nico- 
las, with  tears  in  my  eyes,  to  let  me  walk  back  to  the 
place  from  which  we  had  started ;  but  he  only  laughed 
at  me.  I  braced  up  my  courage,  and  got  on  the  sled 
again,  saying,  in  a  broken  voice,  that  I  knew  I  should 
die  of  fright,  but  I  supposed  Nicolas  did  not  care. 
Down  we  went;  and  this  time  I  got  breath  enough  to 
scream,  which  was  a  great  relief.  I  absolutely  refused  to 
be  inveigled  into  trying  it  a  second  time. 

I  suppose  there  is  a  terrible  fascination  about  it,  like 
reading  of  murders.  I  had  to  eat  twenty  olives  before  I 
learned  to  like  them,  and  it  might  be  the  same  with  the 
ice-hills  :  it  is  an  acquired  taste.  We  finally  returned  to 
the  restaurant,  where  we  took  off  our  wraps,  and  had 
some  hot  tea,  which  served  to  revive  my  drooping 
spirits. 

A  discouraged-looking  man  took  his  seat  at  the  piano, 
and  played  a  few  bars,  then  retired  ;  and  on  a  platform 
at  one  end  of  the  room  there  appeared  a  group  of  six 
women  and  as  many  men,  whose  dark  eyes  and  swarthy 
skins  proclaimed  their  Bohemian  origin.  They  took 
their  seats  in  a  semicircle  ;  the  leader  —  a  hideous  man, 
with  a  guitar — gave  a  signal,  and  they  began  to  sing.  It 


TROIKA   PARTIES. 


was  music  which  struck  me  with  unutterable  sadness,  — 
like  the  voice  of  deep  anguish,  which  bursts  from  home- 
less, hopeless  wanderers.  It  opened  with  a  wail,  which 
grew  gradually  louder,  the  women  interspersing  their 
part  with  shrill  cries.  The  song  became  more  spirited  as 
it  went  on,  and  the  screams  more  frequent,  till  I  imag- 
ined it  to  be  the  cry  of  souls  in  mortal  agony,  and  shud- 
dered instinctively  as  I  listened.  The  leader  swung  his 
guitar  about  his  head,  placed  one  hand  on  his  hip,  and 
danced  a  few  steps  in  a  slow,  mournful  way.  When  the 
song  ended,  it  was  quite  a  shock  to  be  brought  back  to 
every-day  life  by  the  bright,  cheerful  voice  of  Alice. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  it  ?  "  she  inquired. 

"  Don't  ask  me  :  it  is  too  strange  and  weird.  How 
dreamy  they  all  look,  as  though  they  had  insight  into  a 
region  which  is  hidden  from  us  !  " 

"  It  is  a  pity  they  affect  French  toilettes  now,  instead 
of  clinging  to  their  own  costumes  :  they  are  quite  pictur- 
esque in  their  national  dress.  Some  of  them,"  added  my 
sister,  "  are  very  wealthy  ;  but  such  is  the  love  they  have 
for  a  Bohemian  life  that  they  remain  with  the  band." 

"  Look  at  this  !  "  said  Nicolas  hastily. 

The  chorus  had  begun  again  ;  and,  while  the  voices 
rose  and  fell  in  that  unearthly  wail,  a  woman  stood  up, 
waved  her  arms  slowly  round  her  head  in  a  circling, 
sleepy  movement,  and  glided  about  the  stage,  —  being 
apparently  impelled  by  some  influence  outside  of  her- 
self, for  there  was  no  motion  of  the  feet  that  we  could 
see.  She  made  the  circuit  two  or  three  times  ;  then  the 
accompaniment  grew  wilder,  the  dancer  uttered  a  sharp 


142  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

cry,  a  "  Ha-ha ! "  which  grated  on  every  nerve,  and 
which  she  repeated  at  intervals  through  the  remainder 
of  the  performance. 

The  circling  movement  stopped  suddenly,  and  her 
arms  fell  stiffly  by  her  sides.  With  her  great,  dark  eyes 
fixed  on  some  thought  far,  far  away,  she  glided  towards 
the  front  of  the  stage,  quivering  from  head  to  foot. 
What  strange  spirit  had  taken  possession  of  her,  and 
moved  her  as  the  wind  does  a  leaf  ?  There  was  not  a 
muscle  in  her  body  which  did  not  move.  Through  the 
amber-colored  silk  dress  which  she  wore  could  be 
traced  every  line  and  curve  of  her  exquisite  figure,  as  it 
trembled  in  this  weird  spasm.  Gradually  the  chorus 
grew  louder,  the  cries  shriller,  till  the  very  height  of 
pain  or  ecstasy  was  reached ;  and  then  the  music  ceased 
abruptly,  the  dancing-girl  became  a  statue,  and  the 
Tsiganies  sat  looking  straight  before  them,  indifferent 
to  everything  in  heaven  and  earth,  with  an  unutterably 
sad  stare  in  their  dusky  eyes. 

"It  gives  me  too  much  pain  to  see  that!"  I  ex- 
claimed. "  It  is  unearthly.  I  cannot  smile  again  this 
evening." 

"You  must  try,"  said  George  ;  "for  now  we  are  going 
to  dance,  and  we  shall  have  no  more  of  the  gypsy  music 
to-night." 

The  discouraged  man  resumed  his  seat  at  the  piano, 
and  struck  up  a  waltz.  « 

I  thought  that  nothing  more  could  astonish  me  in  Mr. 
Thurber ;  but  I  must  say  I  had  a  slight  touch  of  sur- 
prise when  he  asked  me  to  waltz  with  him,  and  I  was 


TROIKA   PARTIES.  143 

still  more  surprised  to  find  that  he  danced  admirably. 
He  seems  to  do  everything  well  which  he  attempts  at  all. 
Is  he  the  sedate,  unbending  man  I  fancied  him  at  first, 
or  is  he  the  gay,  youthful  fellow  which  he  now  and  then 
seems,  or  is  he  a  little  of  both,  or  is  he  neither  ?  These 
are  the  questions  which  perplex  me.  Judith  gives  me  no 
satisfaction ;  she  says  he  does  not  know  what  he  is  him- 
self. Tom  is  no  judge  ;  for  he  has  developed  a  sort  of 
blind  idolatry  for  his  new  friend. 

Mr.  Thurber  escorted  me  in  to  supper  at  one  o'clock. 
George  sat  at  one  end  of  a  long  table  ;  we  took  our 
places  beside  him,  Judith  opposite  us,  carrying  on  a 
brisk  flirtation  with  Mr.  Novissilsky.  She  hardly  spoke 
to  any  one  else. 

There  was  a  cup  of  steaming  bouillon  before  each  of 
us.  Mr.  Thurber  tasted  his,  and  looked  at  me  as  I  was 
about  to  lift  mine  to  my  lips. 

"  I  advise  you  not,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.     Something  horrible." 

"  Do  you  know  what  it  is  ? "  I  inquired  of  George, 
who  had  just  swallowed  his. 

"Batchuk,"  said  he  briefly. 

I  knew  as  little  about  it  as  before,  but  I  attacked  it 
valiantly,  and  told  Mr.  Thurber  I  did  not  think  it  so 
bad  after  all. 

"  What  is  it  made  of,  Count  Piloff  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Beets,  I  believe.  But  see  what  you  think  of  this 
dish." 

It  was  some  hot  meat,  which  looked  like  venison. 


144  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  Ah  !  "  ejaculated  my  English  neighbor,  "  this  is  not 
equal  to  the  bear  I  shot,  Miss  Dorris." 

"  Asparagus  ? "  I  cried,  as  another  dish  was  passed  to 
me.  "  At  this  season  ?  In  Russia  ?  " 

"Asparagus  is  never  so  good,"  quoth  George,  "as 
when  it  is  out  of  season." 

"  You  people,"  interrupted  Tom,  "  talk  of  nothing 
but  eating.  I  will  tell  you  one  thing,"  he  continued,  in 
a  confidential  tone,  to  any  one  who  would  listen  to  him, 
"  this  is  the  first  dry  champagne  I  have  had  in  this 
country." 

"I  brought  it  with  me,"  Mr.  Thurber  whispered  in 
my  ear.  "  You  will  notice  that  the  Russians  all  prefer 
the  sweet,  except  perhaps  your  neighbor." 

To  my  surprise,  however,  George  drank  nothing  ex- 
cept claret  and  water.  He  made  a  few  efforts  to  open 
a  conversation  with  Judith,  but  she  did  not  respond 
as  readily  as  usual,  and  he  gave  her  up.  Not  a  shade 
of  annoyance  appeared  on  his  face  ;  on  the  contrary 
he  was  particularly  genial,  and  devoted  himself  to  Mr. 
Thurber  and  me  with  apparent  pleasure.  We  enjoyed 
ourselves  thoroughly  at  that  end  of  the  table. 

Coming  home  was  the  most  delightful  part  of  the 
excursion,  however,  although  we  were  not  so  boisterous 
as  on  the  way  out.  Madame  Kirovieff  and  I  rode 
backwards,  giving  the  three  gentlemen  the  other  seat ; 
for  in  that  way  we  avoided  having  the  wind  in  our 
faces.  Poor  Tom  was  put  in  the  middle,  and  was 
nearly  squeezed  into  nothing. 

The  horse  on  my  side  got  his  leg  over  the  trace,  and 


TROIKA   PARTIES,  145 

made  an  effort  to  demolish  the  back  of  my  head,  which 
I  took  out  of  his  way  as  speedily  as  possible.  Tom 
and  Sacha  were  out  of  the  sleigh  in  an  instant,  and  at 
the  horse's  head  ;  but  Mr.  Thurber  sat  calmly  in  his 
place  and  gave  directions  to  the  others. 

"  Don't  jump !  "  he  cried,  seizing  my  hands. 

"  I  have  no  more  idea  of  it  than  you  have,"  I  re- 
sponded calmly.  "  Don't  you  think  you  would  be  more 
useful  if  you  held  the  horse  instead  of  my  hands  ? " 

"  Not  the  slightest  need  of  it  "  ;  and  nothing  would 
induce  him  to  get  out. 

We  were  soon  flying  through  the  air  again,  with  noth- 
ing but  the  bells  and  the  gay  voices  to  break  the  still- 
ness, snow-fields  stretching  away  on  either  side,  and 
the  stars  shining  brightly  above  us.  When  we  reached 
the  Neva,  and  the  long  row  of  lights  on  the  border 
of  the  river  became  visible,  Tom  said,  in  a  disgusted 
tone,  — 

"  Is  this  all  that  is  going  to  happen  to  us  ? " 

"What  more  do  you  wish?"  asked  the  Russian  lady, 
who  by  the  way  is  very  beautiful. 

"  I  supposed  we  should  have  a  runaway,  at  least.  I 
had  no  idea  a  troika  ride  was  such  an  ordinary  affair." 

But  we  had  no  accident.  The  streets  were  still  and 
empty,  and  a  distant  clock  struck  five  when  we  drew  up 
at  our  own  door.  Rousing  the  sleepy  Suisse,  we  got 
into  the  house,  and,  finding  the  samovar  hot,  we 
indulged  in  some  tea,  and  then  went  to  bed. 


10 


146  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

AN   IMPERIAL   WEDDING. 

January  25. 

/CERTAINLY  I  had  to  come  to  Russia  to  be  appre- 
^•^  ciated.  I  have  been  gradually  discovering  this 
for  some  time,  but  a  realizing  sense  of  it  burst  upon  me 
yesterday,  at  the  marriage  of  "  Her  Imperial  Highness 
the  Grand  Duchess  Anastasia  Michaelovna "  to  "  His 
Royal  Highness,  My  Lord,  the  Hereditary  Grand  Duke 
Frederic  of  Mechlenburg-Schwerin,"  —  all  in  very  large 
capitals.  How  small  "  Mr."  and  "  Mrs."  sound  after 
that! 

The  wedding  took  place  in  the  palace  chapel,  the 
scene  of  the  christening.  There  are  only  three  or  four 
days  in  the  week  when  members  of  the  Greek  Church 
may  marry,  and  of  these  Friday  and  Sunday  seem  to  be 
the  favorites. 

I  am  beginning  to  feel  quite  at  home  in  the  palace, 
but  have  not  yet  reached  the  point  of  wishing  to  be 
maid  of  honor.  Such  gilded  servitude  would  not  suit 
me.  Give  me  rather  a  floor  to  scrub  and  a  good  brush 
to  do  it  with,  and  let  me  keep  my  independence. 

Among  the  gentlemen  of  the  palace  who  met  us  in 
th.e  first  hall  which  we  entered  was  Mr.  Cheremenieff. 


AN  IMPERIAL    WEDDING.  147 

He  joined  me  at  once,  telling  me  naively  that  he  had 
been  waiting  for  me,  and  asking  me  why  I  did  not  go  to 
the  ballet  the  night  before,  when  I  suddenly  remembered 
that  I  had  told  him  I  intended  to  go. 

"  Were  you  there  ? "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered  hesitatingly ;  then  added,  with  a 
badly  assumed  air  of  indifference,  "  I  go  nearly  every 
Thursday." 

There  was  a  few  moments'  silence,  as  we  followed  the 
rest  of  the  party  through  the  lofty  rooms ;  then  I  said 
abruptly,  — 

"What  are  you?" 

My  companion  evidently  thought  I  had  become  sud- 
denly insane,  and  his  mystified  air  amused  me  vastly. 

"  I  mean,  what  is  your  position  ?  What  are  your 
duties  in  the  palace  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  "  (laughing  with  an  air  of  intense  relief)  "  I  am 
gentilhomme  de  la  chambre.  On  certain  days  I  am  on 
duty  here  to  make  myself  useful  in  this  way." 

"  Escorting  ladies  about  ?  Not  an  unpleasant  duty, 
I  should  say." 

"  Quite  the  contrary,"  responded  my  gallant  compan- 
ion. After  a  pause  he  continued, — 

"  Do  you  intend  to  stay  long  in  Russia,  mademoi- 
selle ? " 

"  About  two  months  longer." 

His  face  fell.     « Is  that  all  ? " 

"Quite  long  enough  to  stay  away  from  one's  own 
country." 

"  But  you  would  like  Russia ;  I  am  sure  you  would. 


148  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

I  —  that  is  —  we  —  all  of  us  would  make  you  so  fond  of 
it  that  you  would  not  wish  to  go  away,"  stammering,  and 
growing  a  little  confused. 

"  I  dare  say  you  would,"  I  answered.  "  That  is  the 
reason  I  don't  care  to  stay  longer;  for  think  what  a 
terrible  catastrophe  it  would  be  if  I  grew  to  like  Russia 
so  much  that  I  did  not  wish  to  leave  it." 

"  Then  we  might  be  able  to  induce  you  to  stay  al- 
ways," said  the  young  man,  looking  as  if  he  would  say 
more  if  he  dared.  He  had  said  all  I  wished,  and  I  was 
glad  that  we  reached  the  throne-room  just  at  this  mo- 
ment, and  he  was  obliged  to  leave  me. 

The  members  of  the  diplomatic  corps  dropped  in 
and  chatted  together,  the  ladies  criticising  each  other's 
dresses. 

We  went  into  the  chapel  at  last,  and  spread  out  our 
trains  for  the  first,  last,  and  only  time  that  morning,  to 
be  ready  for  the  entrance  of  the  wedding  party. 

First  came  a  long  procession  x)f  all  the  gentlemen  of 
the  chamber,  two  by  two,  then  the  chamberlains,  the 
masters  of  ceremonies,  and  the  grand  master  of  cere- 
monies, preceding  the  Emperor,  who  led  the  mother  of 
the  bridegroom. 

She  wore  a  cream-colored  satin  petticoat,  and  a  red 
velvet  train  covered  with  gold  embroidery ;  her  jewels 
were  rubies  and  diamonds.  The  Tsarevna  came  in 
with  her  husband,  followed  by  her  eldest  sons. 

The  bride  and  groom  were  the  last  to  enter  the  chapel. 
She  is  tall  and  slender,  with  dark  eyes  and  smooth,  dark 
hair.  She  was  dressed  in  cloth  of  silver,  and  her  train 


AN  IMPERIAL    WEDDING.  149 

was  crimson  velvet,  lined  with  ermine.  She  wore  a  tiara 
of  rubies  and  diamonds,  an  old  point-lace  veil,  two 
strings  of  enormous  diamonds  on  her  neck,  and  such  a 
lustrous  diamond  stomacher  that  I  could  hardly  look  at 
her,  for  the  flash  and  glitter  of  the  jewels.  Her  train 
—  very  heavy  and  several  yards  long  —  was  borne  on 
the  shoulders  of  four  chamberlains,  and  a  still  greater 
personage  walked  behind  her  and  carried  the  tail  end  of 
it.  The  bridegroom  is  pale  and  looks  delicate. 

I  could  cover  pages  with  descriptions  of  cloth-of-gold 
and  silver  and  velvet  dresses,  and  gorgeous  jewels,  but 
I  never  could  do  justice  to  the  scene.  After  the  bridal 
party  had  taken  their  places  at  the  altar,  the  ladies  of 
the  court  entered,  and  the  chapel  soon  became  uncom- 
fortably warm. 

Mr.  Cheremenieff  was  stationed  at  the  other  end  of 
the  room,  but  as  his  head  towered  above  all  the  others 
I  was  disagreeably  conscious  that  his  eyes  were  fixed  on 
me  most  of  the  time. 

"  How  restless  you  are  ! "  whispered  Judith;  "  and  oh, 
look  at  your  young  friend  !  How  he  gazes  at  you  !  " 

"  Don't  notice  him,"  I  said  nervously. 

"  I  wonder  where  George  is,"  she  continued,  craning 
her  neck,  and  looking  about  in  a  very  irreverent  man- 
ner. 

Alice  overheard  her,  and  put  her  mind  at  rest  by  say- 
ing, "Here  he  is,  behind  me." 

Meanwhile  there  was  a  great  deal  of  chanting  and 
moving  about,  none  of  which  I  understood.  The  room 
grew  warmer  and  closer,  and  Mr.  CheremeniefFs  eyes 


150  THE   TSARS   WINDOW. 

made  me  more  and  more  nervous,  until,  for  the  first  time 
in  my  life,  I  began  to  feel  faint.  I  struggled  bravely 
against  it,  but  the  priests'  voices,  the  hum  of  the  con- 
gregation, and  the  rustling  of  dresses  became  confused 
and  dim,  and  I  felt  that  in  another  moment  I  should  be 
forced  to  sit  down  on  the  floor  if  I  would  not  fall.  Then 
I  was  vaguely  conscious  that  a  hand  was  laid  on  my 
arm,  and  a  voice  said,  — 

"  Give  me  your  fan,  and  lean  this  way  if  you  are  going 
to  faint." 

I  complied  mechanically,  and  in  a  few  seconds  con- 
quered my  weakness  enough  to  loose  my  frantic  clasp  of 
George's  arm,  and  to  refuse  the  various  smelling-bottles 
which  were  offered  to  me. 

"  I  never  faint,"  was  my  grateful  reply  to  Count  Piloff 
for  his  kindness. 

"  You  looked  wonderfully  like  it  then,"  he  murmured, 
smiling  at  my  indignation. 

"  Pray  tell  me  what  they  are  doing,"  said  I,  indicating 
the  bride  and  groom. 

"  They  are  about  to  drink  of  the  same  cup,  —  symbol 
of  the  joys  and  sorrows  they  must  share  through  life. 
Those  lighted  candles  they  will  each  hold  through  the 
remainder  of  the  service.  And  now  look  at  this." 

Two  large  golden  crowns,  set  with  jewels,  were 
brought  forth.  They  were  held  over  the  heads  of  the 
bridal  couple  by  the  different  groomsmen  in  turn,  while 
more  chanting  went  on. 

"  Tremendously  difficult  performance  that,"  remarked 
George. 


AN  IMPERIAL    WEDDING. 


The  crowns  seemed  to  be  very  heavy,  and  had  to  be 
held  up  at  arm's  length.  Rings  were  exchanged  ;  then 
the  metropolitan  joined  the  hands  of  the  couple  under 
a  cloth-of-gold  scarf,  and  led  them  three  times  slowly 
round  the  altar,  still  holding  the  candles,  and  being 
crowned  by  the  groomsmen.  This  tour  must  have  been 
rather  troublesome  for  the  bride,  with  her  five  train- 
bearers,  her  crown-holder,  her  candle  in  one  hand,  and 
her  other  hand  in  her  husband's. 

"  Now  they  are  married,"  said  my  neighbor.  "  They 
cannot  change  their  minds  after  this." 

I  sighed. 

"  Do  you  feel  ill  again  ?  "  quickly. 

"  No.  I  was  only  thinking  what  a  dreadful  thing  it 
must  be  to  feel  that  you  cannot  change  your  mind." 

The  choir  burst  into  a  joyful  song,  and  we  were 
politely  requested  to  walk  out,  which  we  did  with  much 
clatter  and  noise.  The  outer  halls  through  which  we 
passed  were  filled  with  officers  of  the  guard,  in  full  uni- 
form, who  made  way  for  us  to  go  into  the  hall  of  St. 
Alexander,  where  the  Lutheran  service  was  to  be  held. 
George  kept  close  to  my  side,  and  suggested  that  I 
should  go  home  at  once  ;  but  I  only  laughed  at  him. 

"  I  never  fainted  in  my  life,"  I  cried.  "  It  was 
nothing  but  the  heat,  and  the  fact  that  I  have  had 
no  breakfast." 

He  stopped  short  and  looked  at  me.  "  Are  you 
wild  ?  " 

"  No  ;  but  I  slept  so  late  that  I  had  only  time  to  take 
a  cup  of  coffee." 


152  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

"  Then  you  certainly  ought  to  go  home,"  he  ex- 
claimed. "You  have  been  on  your  feet  for  an  hour 
and  a  half,  and  this  service  will  be  an  hour  long.  I 
can  take  you  to  the  carriage." 

"  No,  no  !  "  I  cried.  "  It  is  nonsense.  I  don't  wish 
to  go  ! " 

George  drew  his  brows  together,  but  only  said,  "  If 
you  insist  upon  it,  of  course  you  must  stay ;  but  I  assure 
you  there  is  nothing  more  worth  seeing." 

There  was  no  time  for  further  discussion,  as  we 
entered  the  hall  at  that  moment.  A  platform  and  desk 
were  prepared,  as  they  are  in  a  Lutheran  Church,  and 
three  priests  were  waiting  in  their  black  gowns.  The 
wedding  procession  soon  entered,  and  the  second  ser- 
vice was  performed  in  German.  Its  simplicity  was  the 
greatest  possible  contrast  to  the  elaborate  ceremony 
which  had  preceded  it.  There  was  a  long  sermon, 
consisting  of  good  advice  for  the  young  people  ;  then 
the  bride  and  groom  kissed  all  the  family,  and  walked 
out.  We  followed,  reaching  home  between  three  and 
four  o'clock. 

"Well,  Tom,"  said  my  cousin,  as  we  entered  the 
house,  "  Dorris  made  herself  famous  by  nearly  fainting 
in  George's  arms,  while  Cheremenieff  gazed  at  them 
from  a  distance  in  jealous  despair." 

"  Did  she  really  ?  "  cried  Tom  eagerly. 

"  Certainly,"  insisted  Judith.  "  Cheremenieff  is  very 
«.r  gone,  if  I  am  any  judge." 

In  vain  I  remonstrated.  I  was  made  to  lie  down, 
while  Judith  bathed  my  head  and  petted  me  to  her 
heart's  content. 


AN  IMPERIAL    WEDDING.  153 

The  festivities  at  the  palace  were  going  on  all  this 
time.  There  was  a  great  dinner,  attended  by  the  high 
court  officials,  the  ministers  of  the  empire,  and  the 
ladies  belonging  to  the  court.  Toasts  were  drunk, 
while  the  guns  of  the  fortress  fired  an  accompaniment, 
and  a  concert  was  given  in  the  dining-hall  by  the  best 
musicians  in  Petersburg. 

The  ball  —  if  it  can  be  called  a  ball  when  the 
imperial  family  did  all  the  dancing  —  was  held  in  St. 
George's  Hall,  at  half-past  eight. 

We  passed  through  long  corridors  filled  with  richly 
dressed  gentlemen,  and  through  an  immense  room,  full 
of  windows,  columns,  and  officers.  There  was  a  narrow 
way  in  the  centre,  down  which  we  went,  seeing  various 
familiar  faces  among  the  surrounding  uniforms,  and, 
traversing  another  corridor,  came  to  the  door  of  the 
ball-room.  The  number  of  invitations  was  limited,  in- 
cluding only  a  few  of  those  who  were  present  at  the 
wedding.  No  officer  under  the  rank  of  a  colonel  was 
allowed  in  the  ball-room. 

Opposite  the  door  by  which  we  entered  was  the  throne, 
and  over  our  heads  was  the  orchestra.  The  throne  was 
covered  with  red  brocade,  with  a  canopy  over  it  of 
the  same.  The  ceiling  of  the  room  was  arched  and 
painted. 

The  dresses  were  the  same  which  had  been  worn  in 
the  morning ;  only  those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to 
possess  more  than  one  court-train  had  changed,  and 
among  this  number  were  all  of  the  grand  duchesses. 

The  chamberlains   and  gentlemen   of  the   chamber 


154  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

wore  white  silk  stockings  and  white  knee-breeches,  dark 
coats  heavily  trimmed  with  gold  lace,  and  they  carried 
black  cocked  hats  trimmed  with  gold  lace  and  feathers. 
The  masters  of  ceremonies  had  long  gilt  wands,  with 
which  they  preceded  the  imperial  family  when  it  entered 
at  nine  o'clock.  The  band  played  the  polonaise  from 
"  La  vie  pour  le  Tsar,"  and  the  procession  took  its  way 
to  the  foot  of  the  throne,  stayed  there  a  few  minutes, 
then  began  to  dance  the  polonaise.  It  can  hardly  be 
called  a  dance,  as  it  simply  consists  in  walking  rather 
quickly  in  procession  about  the  room,  two  by  two,  the 
gentleman  just  touching  the  lady's  fingers  as  he  leads 
her  out.  The  grand  master  of  ceremonies  led  the  way, 

followed  by  two  lesser  lights.  Prince  L led  the 

polonaise,  with  a  very  martial  air.  He  plunged  into 
the  crowd  in  the  most  unexpected  places,  scattering  the 
people  right  and  left,  crushing  us  up  together ;  and  by 
the  time  we  had  come  to  a  realizing  sense  that  the 
Emperor  was  passing  close  to  us,  and  had  made  our 
courtesies  with  much  confusion,  and  many  bumps  from 
our  neighbors,  —  lo  !  there  was  the  procession  behind 
us,  and  we  were  obliged  to  face  about  and  go  through 
with  the  same  ceremony  again. 

George  was  talking  to  Judith  most  of  the  evening. 
He  had  no  eyes  for  any  one  else,  though  he  did  say  to 
me  at  first,  "  I  am  glad  to  see  you  looking  so  well  this 
evening." 

Mr.  Cheremenieff,  however,  attached  himself  to  my 
side,  and  remained  there  from  the  time  I  entered  the 
room  till  I  drove  away  from  the  palace  door.  I  amused 


AN  IMPERIAL    WEDDING.  155 

myself  by  criticising  everything,  and  horrified  my  com- 
panion by  proposing  to  dance  the  polonaise. 

"  Why  not  ? "  I  cried.  "  There  goes  the  German 
ambassadress." 

"I  really  think  you  had  better  not,"  remonstrated 
Mr.  Cheremenieff.  "  People  might  think  it  strange." 

"  But  why  are  you  so  afraid  of  what  people  will  say  ? 
In  America  we  do  exactly  as  we  like.  If  the  President 
were  dancing  a  polonaise,  I  should  not  hesitate  to  step 
in  behind  him  if  I  wished  it,"  cried  I,  devoutly  hoping 
that  Alice  might  not  hear  the  tales  with  which  I  was 
entertaining  this  young  man,  well  knowing  she  would 
immediately  tell  him  that  I  was  talking  nonsense. 

"  Indeed !  "  he  responded.  "  It  must  be  a  —  a  — 
charming  country.  I  hope  to  visit  it  some  time.  O 
mademoiselle"  (suddenly  becoming  sentimental)  "if 
you  would  only  try  to  like  Russia !  Believe  me,  the 
greatest  joy — " 

Here  the  polonaise  interrupted  my  companion's 
speech.  After  the  necessary  salutations  had  been  gone 
through  with,  a  charming  young  Frenchman  who  stood 
near  me  raised  his  dark  eyes  plaintively  to  mine,  and 
murmured,  — 

"  Mademoiselle,  je  vous  en  supplie !  J'ai  recu  tous 
vos  contre-coups  ! " 

The  next  moment  Mr.  Cheremenieff  resumed  his 
place  by  my  side. 

"  Sometime,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone,  "  I  shall  visit 
America.  I  am  now  studying  English,  and  making  great 
progress.  Would  you  "  (putting  on  a  beseeching  look) 
"  would  you  welcome  me  if  I  came  to  your  country  ? " 


156  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  We  are  probably  the  most  hospitable  nation  in  the 
world,"  I  responded  sagely.  "But  you  are  very  young: 
you  will  have  plenty  of  time  to  travel  in  the  future." 

He  did  not  look  pleased  at  this. 

"  If  you  would  make  up  your  mind  to  stay  in  Russia 
for  a  few  years,  I  assure  you  we  could  make  you  happy  " 
(with  an  air  of  stern  determination). 

"No  doubt,"  I  answered  carelessly.  "  How  pretty  the 
bride  looks!  That  is  a  cloth-of-silver  train,  isn't  it? 
The  Tsarevna  has  such  a  sweet  face,  I  think ;  she  looks 
sympathetic.  Is  that  the  Grand  Duke  Michael?  I 
should  know  he  was  a  great  general,  or  a  great  man  of 
some  sort." 

My  companion  reluctantly  followed  my  lead  in  con- 
versation. 

"  I  am  sure  you  must  admire  the  wife  of  the  Grand 
Duke  Vladimir,"  he  remarked.  "  She  is  the  only  one 
who  has  married  into  the  imperial  family  and  retained 
her  own  religion." 

Pages  followed  the  ladies  to  arrange  their  trains,  as 
they  turned  the  corners. 

We  suspended  conversation  for  a  few  minutes,  to  watch 
the  dancing ;  then  my  young  friend  began  again  :  "  In 
your  country,  I  hear,  it  is  customary  for  a  gentle- 
man, when  he  wishes  to  marry  a  young  lady,  to  declare 
his  feelings  directly  to  her,  before  speaking  to  her  parents 
or  guardians." 

I  hesitated.  "Yes,  but  the  lady  always  gives  him 
some  decided  encouragement  before  he  says  anything  to 
her." 


4 AT"  IMPERIAL    WEDDING.  1 57 

I  felt  that  I  must  proceed  warily;  for  I  knew  not 
what  results  might  follow. 

"  Ah !  "  he  exclaimed  eagerly ;  "  but  what  would  you 
call  encouragement  ? " 

"  Well,"  I  debated  for  a  moment,  "  asking  the  man  to 
call  and  see  her  —  or  —  accepting  a  present  from  him, 
or  —  telling  him  she  \sfond of  his  mother" 

I  paused  ;  and  my  companion  looked  at  me  in  dumb 
amazement.  He  must  think  the  Americans  a  very  curi- 
ous and  wonderful  people  ! 

"Any  of  those  things,"  I  went  on  seriously,  " would  be 
considered  encouragement." 

He  ceased  to  look  astonished,  and  began  to  be  down- 
cast. 

"And  without  something  of  that  sort,  a  man  would  not 
declare  his  feelings  ?  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  no!"  I  cried.  "What  lovely  blue  eyes 
Madame  Kirovieff  has  !  " 

"  I  prefer  dark  ones,"  said  my  companion,  looking  at 
me  sentimentally. 

The  ambassador  approached  at  this  moment,  and  I  had 
a  short  respite.  At  ten  o'clock  the  imperial  family  left 
the  hall. 

"  Come,"  said  Nicolas. 

"  Where  ?  "  Judith  and  I  inquired,  in  a  breath. 

"  Home,  of  course.  Have  you  not  been  here  long 
enough  ?  " 

"You  don't  mean  to  tell  me,"  said  I  indignantly,  "that 
this  is  all !  I  thought  it  was  a  ball.  The  idea  of  going 
home  at  this  hour,  —  having  done  nothing  but  watch 
other  people  dance  !  " 


158  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

They  all  laughed ;  and  we  lingered  for  a  long  time, 
being  among  the  last  to  leave  the  hall.  We  stared  in  our 
most  well-bred  manner  at  Chung  How,  the  Chinese  am- 
bassador, and  some  of  his  suite.  He  is  a  mandarin  of 
the  highest  rank,  "  Wearer  of  the  Diamond  Button," 
etc.,  etc.,  etc.  He  was  dressed  in  a  yellow  satin  gown 
over  a  blue  one,  and  had  a  large  emerald  ring  on  his 
thumb. 

At  last  we  had  to  depart.  While  my  overshoes  were 
being  put  on  for  me  by  one  servant,  and  my  cloak 
thrown  about  me  by  another  (I  never  wait  on  myself  in 
Russia),  Mr.  Cheremenieff  asked  me  if  I  intended  to  go 
to  a  rout  at  one  of  the  embassies  the  next  evening. 

"  Rout  ? "  I  repeated,  opening  my  eyes  very  wide,  and 
nearly  losing  my  equilibrium,  as  Vasili  worked  on  my 
overshoe.  "  Do  ladies  go  ? " 

George  laughed.  "I  can  imagine  the  visions  of 
Bohemians,  dancing-girls,  and  wild  orgies  which  are  fly- 
ing through  your  head  at  that  word.  You  will  be  disap- 
pointed when  you  learn  that  a  rout  is  only  a  mild 
reception,  with  no  dancing,  and  very  little  to  eat." 

'"  Then  I  shall  not  go,  Mr.  Cheremenieff  "  (twisting 
my  bashlik  about  my  head,  and  mechanically  allowing 
George  to  tie  it  behind  for  me).  "I  don't  think  I  am 
invited  ;  and  I  don't  care  for  any  more  parties  till  I 
have  had  one  day's  rest.  Good-night." 

I  came  home  quite  pleased  with  myself  for  having  dis- 
covered that  Mr.  Cheremenieff  was  in  love  with  me,  and 
for  having  made  him  understand  in  such  a  delicate  way 
that  I  could  not  return  his  affection.  It  seems  to  me 


AN  IMPERIAL    WEDDING.  159 

that  I  must  be  very  attractive  ;  for  here  is  Mr.  Thurber 
in  love  with  me  too,  —  as  much  in  love  as  an  icicle  ever 
is.  I  wonder  that  no  one  at  home  discovered  my 
fascinations. 

Joking  aside,  I  am  growing  tired  of  the  utterly  artificial 
life  which  I  lead  here,  and  would  like  to  get  back  among 
my  own  people.  If  I  had  not  been  so  interested  in  my 
own  affairs  lately,  I  should  have  been  anxious  about 
Judith.  She  looks  sad  and  heavy-eyed :  it  may  be  the 
late  hours  which  we  keep,  and  the  continual  excitement 
in  which  we  live.  I  hope  that  is  all. 

I  left  my  room  this  morning  to  go  to  the  library,  where 
I  always  find  the  newspapers.  On  my  way  thither  I 
passed  through  the  little  salon,  where  Judith  likes  to  sit 
by  the  fire.  I  was  absorbed  in  my  own  thoughts,  and 
did  not  notice  that  the  room  was  occupied  till  I  was  in 
the  middle  of  the  floor.  There  was  George,  talking 
earnestly  to  my  cousin,  and  she  was  —  crying !  I 
walked  on  to  the  other  door,  after  one  astonished 
glance,  paying  little  attention  to  George's  polite  bow. 
But  I  tried  unsuccessfully  to  interest  myself  in  the 
paper  when  I  reached  the  library.  What  can  it  mean  ? 
I  suppose  time  alone  will  solve  the  mystery ;  but  I  am 
puzzled. 


160  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

A   COURT   BALL,   AND   THE   MYSTERY   SOLVED. 

January,  1879. 

TT  7HATEVER  I  may  think  of  George,  I  certainly 
»  »  cannot  say  that  he  is  unforgiving.  He  treats 
me  just  as  he  has  always  done,  in  spite  of  the  disagreea- 
ble scenes  at  which  he  has  been  present,  and  the  rude 
speeches  I  have  made  to  him.  This  goes  to  prove  the 
truth  of  what  I  said  about  him,  namely,  that  he  cares 
too  little  about  people  and  things  in  general  to  be  un- 
forgiving. He  looks  upon  us  all  (except,  perhaps,  Ju- 
dith) as  toys  with  which  to  amuse  his  idle  hours,  and 
he  would  not  hurt  us  any  more  than  he  would  hurt  his 
horse  or  his  dog ;  in  fact,  his  feeling  for  us  is  much  the 
same  as  that  which  he  has  for  his  brown  setter.  I  can- 
not think  him  capable  of  a  deep  love  for  any  one.  It  is 
true  that  his  eyes  —  which  are  generally  the  coldest  I 
have  ever  seen  —  warm  up  wonderfully  sometimes,  and 
his  smile  is  all  the  sweeter  for  being  so  rare ;  and  it  may 
be  that  I  am  prejudiced  against  him,  as  Mr.  Thurber 
suggested.  The  idea  of  Judith's  caring  for  him  makes 
me  very  unhappy. 

Sacha  has  nearly  fallen  out  of  my  good  graces,  he  is 
so  foolish.     Instead  of  going  to  work  like  a  man,  and 


A    COURT  BALL.  l6l 

honestly  trying  to  win  Judith,  he  stands  back  with  the 
air  of  a  martyr,  and  glowers  at  all  rivals  in  the  field. 
George  is  undoubtedly  the  most  dangerous  of  these.  I 
sneered  when  Sacha  pronounced  him  fascinating,  but  I 
see  now  what  he  meant.  George  is  fascinating.  Not- 
withstanding my  conviction  of  his  insincerity,  I  find  that 
in  his  presence  I  forget  it,  and  am  conscious  of  the  at- 
traction which  seems  to  draw  all  women  towards  him. 
There  is  in  him  a  peculiar  quality  of  tenderness,  which 
makes  me  feel  that  if  I  were  ill,  or  suffering  in  any  way, 
I  could  go  to  him  for  sympathy.  This  may  be  his  true 
character,  which  occasionally  pierces  through  the  out- 
side polish.  I  hope,  for  Judith's  sake,  that  it  is  so.  I 
never  had  so  many  contradictory  opinions  about  a  man 
before. 

Judith  came  to  my  room  last  night,  when  I  was  making 
preparations  to  arrange  my  hair  for  the  palace  ball. 
This  is  an  important  operation  with  me  ;  it  consists  in 
the  transportation  of  an  immense  lamp  from  the  parlor 
to  my  room,  and  the  construction  of  a  pile  of  books  on 
my  dressing-table,  on  which  the  lamp  is  posed  at  the 
proper  height  to  illumine  my  head.  After  all  my 
efforts,  I  generally  trust  very  much  to  luck  for  my 
back  hair. 

Judith  made  her  appearance  in  a  hideous  pink  wrap- 
per, with  her  blond  hair  all  twisted  up  into  one  tight 
knot,  as  if  she  had  just  stepped  out  of  her  bath. 

"Dorris,"  she  cried  abruptly,  putting  down  her  can- 
dle, and  closing  unceremoniously  the  little  pane  in  my 
window  which  I  had  opened  to  air  the  room,  "  Dorris, 

11 


1 62  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

there  are  two  hours  before  we  need  to  start.  I  want 
you  to  tell  me  something." 

There  was  a  strange  excitement  in  her  tone,  and  her 
eyes  were  unusually  large  and  bright.  I  looked  at  her 
in  silence.  My  cousin  laughed  softly. 

"  Don't  look  so  alarmed,"  taking  my  lamp  from  me, 
and  setting  it  down  ruthlessly  on  a  bunch  of  artificial 
sunflowers  which  I  had  spent  one  hour  in  arranging. 

"  There  !  You  have  ruined  them  ! ''  I  exclaimed,  in- 
dignantly rescuing  my  flowers.  "  And  I  have  no  others 
to  wear." 

She  took  them  gently  away  from  me. 

"  I  am  so  sorry,  dear.  But  see,  —  I  will  make  them 
all  right.  Don't  be  cross  with  me !  " 

"  You  are  so  impulsive  !  "  I  sighed.  "  If  you  had  only 
stopped  to  look,  you  would  have  seen  the  flowers." 

"  Of  course  I  should  ;  but  I  did  not  look.  They  are 
as  good  as  new  now ;  so  don't  fix  your  black  eyes  on  me 
any  longer  with  that  reproachful  look." 

She  put  a  hand  on  each  of  my  shoulders,  and  looked 
down  on  me  fondly  from  her  superior  height. 

"  Listen.  Suppose,  if  you  can  —  suppose  you  were 
in  love !  " 

"  Well  ? "  I  said,  after  a  brief  pause,  during  which  she 
never  removed  her  eyes  from  mine.  "  I  am  willing  to 
suppose  it.  What  then  ?  " 

"  What  then  ? "  she  repeated  in  rather  a  puzzled  tone, 
turning  away  and  seating  herself  on  an  ottoman.  "  Well, 
what  then  ?  Sure  enough,"  looking  at  me  again,  and 
laughing. 


A    COURT  BALL.  163 

"  Is  that  what  you  came  to  ask  me  ? "  I  inquired 
calmly,  arranging  my  lamp  to  suit  me. 

"Don't  be  sarcastic,  Dorris.  It  does  not  become 
you." 

A  short  silence,  during  which  I  sat  down  in  front  of 
my  mirror  and  began  to  braid  my  hair. 

"  Some  one  is  in  love  with  me,  Dorris,"  she  said 
quietly,  leaning  her  round  cheek  on  her  palm.  "Did 
you  know  it  ?  " 

A  broad  smile  made  its  appearance  on  my  face  as  I 
gazed  at  its  reflection.  Before  I  could  reply  Judith 
went  on :  — 

"  I  do  not  mean  George,  so  you  need  not  look  as  if 
you  were  saying,  '  I  told  you  so  ! '  But  it  is  some  one 
who  is  very  rich,  quite  handsome,  highly  connected, 
everything  that  is  desirable,  and  exactly  what  you  would 
like  for  a  cousin." 

Her  eyes  were  studying  the  pattern  in  the  rug  at  her 
feet ;  her  mouth  looked  mischievous. 

"  Well  ? "  I  interrogated,  without  enthusiasm. 

"There  is  a  sameness  in  your  expressions  to-night, 
Dorris,"  she  said,  looking  at  me  slyly.  "  I  suppose  you 
mean  to  ask  what  I  am  going  to  do  about  it  ? " 

"  Yes,  if  you  wish  to  tell  me." 

"I  have  already  refused  him." 

"  You  are  a  sensible  woman,"  I  cried  emphatically, 
turning  towards  her.  "  Don't  let  anything  tempt  you  to 
marry  a  man  whom  you  do  not  care  for." 

Judith  rose  slowly  from  her  seat,  took  her  candle,  and 
stood  before  me,  pondering.  Little  rings  of  hair  curled 


164  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

lovingly  about  her  soft,  round  throat ;  her  lashes,  long 
and  black,  rested  on  her  cheeks. 

"  Do  you  know  why  I  refused  him  ? "  she  asked,  al- 
most in  a  whisper. 

"  Only  because  you  did  not  love  him,"  I  responded, 
with  a  vague  fear  in  my  heart. 

She  came  behind  me,  kissed  the  top  of  my  head 
gently,  and  whispered,  — 

"  Because  I  love  some  one  else." 

My  heart  gave  one  wild  leap,  and  then  sank.  It  was 
true  then,  —  my  worst  fears  were  realized.  Judith  stood 
there,  waiting  for  me  to  speak.  I  hesitated  one  instant, 
then  took  possession  of  the  white  hand  which  she  had 
laid  timidly  on  my  shoulder,  and  put  it  to  my  lips  as  I 
replied,  — 

"  That  is  right,  Judith.  Be  true  to  him  if  he  is  worthy 
of  you." 

She  burst  into  a  passion  of  tears,  but  soon  recovered 
herself ;  and,  with  as  few  words  as  possible,  I  sent  her 
away  to  dress.  Then  I  sat  and  looked  at  my  small 
image  in  the  glass. 

"  Dorris  Romilly,"  I  soliloquized,  "  don't  make  your- 
self disagreeable.  Help  the  dear  child  to  be  as  happy 
as  possible ;  be  unselfish.  You  dislike  George  without 
any  reason :  try  to  like  him.  Because  your  romance 
had  but  a  short  existence,  and  ended  in  sorrow  which 
nearly  broke  your  heart,  do  not  begrudge  others  their 
happiness.  Conquer  yourself,  Dorris,  conquer  your- 
self !  " 

Still  the  image  looked  back  at  me  with  sad  eyes. 


A   COURT  BALL.  165 

The  clock  on  my  mantel  struck  eight.  I  began  to 
dress  hurriedly,  continuing  to  reason  with  myself  as  I 
did  so  ;  and  I  moved  as  though  in  a  dream,  out  of  which 
I  was  suddenly  awakened  by  Nicolas's  voice,  who  told 
me  the  whole  party  was  waiting  for  me. 

The  palace  was  blazing  with  light  as  we  drove  up  to 
it.  There  were  three  thousand  guests  ;  and  I  felt  like  a 
small  atom  in  that  brilliant  throng.  While  I  was  look- 
ing about  me,  rather  bewildered  by  it  all,  my  eyes  fell  on 
Sacha,  who  was  in  a  splendid  uniform.  He  looked  quite 
handsome.  His  face  brightened,  and  he  came  towards 
me,  nearly  upsetting  my  friend  the  ambassador,  who  was 
also  making  his  way  in  my  direction.  The  latter  frowned, 
and  turned  away.  Sacha  gained  my  side,  breathless  but 
triumphant. 

"  Will  you  walk  a  little  ? " 

"  Willingly ;  but  "  (turning  to  Alice)  "  where  will  you 
be  when  I  want  to  find  you  ?  " 

"  Somewhere  near  here,"  she  answered  ;  and  I  started 
off  on  a  tour  of  inspection. 

We  finally  reached  a  part  of  the  great  ball-room  which 
was  comparatively  clear.  There  were  two  or  three  chairs 
standing  against  the  wall.  Having  been  for  some  time 
on  my  feet,  I  was  glad  to  drop  into  one  of  these.  Sacha 
started  back,  as  if  he  were  shocked,  —  "  O  mademoi- 
selle ! " 

"  What  is  it  ? "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Oh,  indeed,  I  would  not  do  that !  " 

"  Do  what  ?     Sit  down  ?  "  I  answered.     "  Why  not  ? " 

"  It  is  not  the  custom,  really." 


166  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

I  arose,  with  a  sigh. 

"What  nonsense  all  these  rules  are!  No  one  would 
have  noticed  me." 

I  still  felt  half-dazed,  after  my  interview  with  Judith. 
I  wished  to  think  about  it ;  but  that  was  an  impossibility, 
with  all  this  bustle  and  noise  around  me.  I  resolved  to 
shake  off  the  spell  which  Judith's  words  had  cast  over 
me,  and  enjoy  myself  as  much  as  I  could.  Sacha 
began  to  talk  earnestly  to  me,  on  the  same  old 
subject. 

"  I  am  engaged  to  her  for  the  third  quadrille,"  I 
heard  him  saying,  "  and  I  shall  take  that  opportunity." 

Poor  fellow  !  He  never  could  get  his  courage  up  to 
propose  to  Judith  ;  but  he  was  always  threatening  it.  I 
began  to  talk  with  him  about  George.  Perhaps  he  would 
tell  me  that  secret  now,  I  thought ;  but  it  would  be  too 
late  to  save  my  darling  girl,  for  she  loved  him.  Some- 
how, my  heart  was  very  heavy. 

"You  once  began,"  I  said,  "to  tell  me  something 
about  Count  Piloff ;  but  you  did  not  finish  it." 

He  looked  at  me  vacantly ;  then  a  gleam  of  recollec- 
tion lighted  up  his  dark  eyes. 

"  Yes,  I  remember,"  he  answered.  "  I  don't  know 
whether  I  had  better  tell  you  or  not." 

"You  are  the  best  judge  of  that,"  I  made  answer 
indifferently.  "  Of  course,  if  you  tell  me,  it  will  go  no 
further." 

After  a  moment  of  apparent  hesitation,  Sacha  said,  in 
a  low  and  confidential  tone  :  — 

"  Mademoiselle,  it  is  something  startling  I  am  about 


A    COURT  BALL.  167 

to  confide  to  you ;  but  you  must  consider  that  George 
has  knocked  about  the  world  a  great  deal,  and  perhaps 
has  not  that  fine  sense  of  honor  which  he  would  have  had 
under  different  circumstances.  I  should  not  mention  the 
matter,  were  it  not  for  your  cousin's  interest  to  know  the 
truth  about  him." 

"  Never  mind  apologizing,"  I  cried  impatiently. 

"  George  has  made  a  heavy  bet  at  the  club  that  he  will 
marry  an  heiress  within  six  months.  He  made  that  bet 
the  day  after  he  met  your  cousin,  and  directly  after  some 
men  had  been  asking  him  about  her ;  so  it  was  under- 
Stood  by  all  that  she  was  the  heiress  indicated." 

The  music  and  the  noise  around  me  seemed  to  be  com- 
pressed into  one  loud  "  Bang  !  "  which  knocked  my  heart 
and  my  brain  together.  I  turned  on  my  companion, 
with  an  angry  cry  :  "  Is  this  true  ?  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  True  !  "  he  repeated.  "  How  could  I  tell  it  to  you 
otherwise  ?  " 

The  sharp  pain  in  my  heart  dulled  my  other  senses.  I 
knew  that  Sacha's  voice  was  going  on  and  on,  but  had 
not  an  idea  of  what  he  was  saying.  I  knew,  too,  that  some 
acquaintances  came  and  spoke  to  me;  that  Sacha  left 
me,  that  the  ambassador  escorted  me  into  the  next  room 
and  gave  me  an  ice,  and  that  I  ate  it  mechanically ;  but 
all  the  time  I  was  saying  mentally,  "  Infamous  !  Oh,  poor 
Judith  ! " 

Then  a  relief,  sudden  as  the  blow  had  been,  came  over 
me.  Perhaps  it  was  all  a  lie.  George  was  not  capable 
of  such  a  thing.  In  any  case,  why  should  I  care  ?  I 
had  never  liked  him.  But  the  dull  pain  settled  down  at 


1 68  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

my  heart  again,  and  stayed  there.  My  companion  asked 
me  if  I  felt  ill.  No,  I  said;  but  I  was  tired.  So  I 
was,  very  tired. 

The  ambassador  took  me  in  to  supper.  There  were 
three  supper-rooms.  In  the  largest  the  imperial  table 
was  spread ;  also  two  others,  at  one  of  which  we  took 
our  places.  And  there  were  two  bands,  which  played 
alternately  during  supper.  The  music  was  sad,  and  I 
could  hardly  swallow  a  mouthful.  We  ate  off  massive 
gold  and  silver ;  the  wine  stood  in  coolers  of  beauti- 
ful silver  filagree  ;  the  glass  was  exquisite  Bohemian. 
The  Emperor  did  not  sup,  but  walked  about,  and  talked 
with  many  of  his  guests.  Three  thousand  people, 
seated,  without  crowding,  at  a  hot  supper  served  on 
Sevres  and  silver  dishes,  was  a  truly  imperial  entertain- 
ment. But  I  was  not  in  a  fit  state  of  mind  to  appreciate 
this  magnificence. 

I  had  seen  none  of  my  party  since  the  first  of  the 
evening,  and  after  supper  I  made  a  thorough  search  of 
the  ball-room,  but  without  success.  At  last  the  ambas- 
sador proposed  to  leave  me  in  a  certain  spot  and  go  by 
himself  to  look  for  Alice.  He  had  not  been  gone  long 
when  a  servant  offered  me  some  hot  punch.  As  I  was 
drinking  it,  George's  voice  close  beside  me  said,  — 

"  At  last,  Miss  Rom  illy,  I  have  found  you !  I  have 
been  looking  everywhere  for  you." 

Something,  I  know  not  what,  perhaps  a  tone  of  hearti- 
ness or  sincerity  in  his  voice,  sent  a  pang  of  regret  and 
incredulity  through  me.  I  felt  the  tears  rush  in  a  blind- 
ing mist  to  my  eyes  as  I  lifted  them  to  his  without 


A    COURT  BALL.  l6g 

a  word.  I  conquered  myself  the  moment  I  encoun- 
tered his  calm  gaze,  and  colored  guiltily,  fearing  I  had 
betrayed  my  knowledge  of  his  secret.  He  did  not 
speak  a  word  as  he  took  the  empty  glass  from  my 
hand  and  put  it  on  a  table  near  by.  Then  he  sat 
down  quietly  beside  me,  saying,  "  We  are  to  wait  here 
for  Alice.  She  is  saying  good-night  to  some  half  dozen 
friends." 

"  And  Judith  ?  "  I  inquired. 

"  Is  with  her.  Where  have  you  kept  yourself  all  the 
evening  ?  None  of  us  have  seen  you  since  you  deserted 
us  to  go  off  with  Novissilsky." 

"  I  don't  know  where  I  have  been,  nor  who  I  have 
seen,  nor  what  I  have  done,"  I  answered  wearily.  "  It 
has  all  been  a  tremendous  noise  and  confusion.  Jewels, 
footmen  in  livery ;  and  every  one  whom  I  ever  knew 
talking  to  me  at  once." 

"  Tiresome,  is  it  not  ?  I  fancy  you  are  glad  to  have 
a  chance  to  sit  down." 

"  Yes.  Mr.  Novissilsky  would  not  allow  me  to  sit 
when  I  was  with  him." 

He  laughed,  and  it  seemed  to  me  there  was  a  touch 
of  contempt  in  his  amusement. 

"  Sacha  is  punctilious,"  he  remarked  quietly. 

"  Is  he  truthful  ? "  I  cried  abruptly,  turning  an  anxious 
face  on  my  companion. 

He  did  not  immediately  return  my  look,  but  he  an- 
swered carelessly, — 

"  I  have  no  reason  to  think  otherwise.     Have  you  ? " 

"Perhaps   not,"  I    said   musingly.     "Perhaps   not," 


1 70  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

more  decidedly.  "  I  would  like  to  think  him  untruthful 
though." 

"Pray  do  then,"  laughed  George.  "It  is  generally 
safe  to  doubt  people ;  and  if  he  has  told  you  anything 
unpleasant,  don't  believe  him.  At  least,"  he  said, 
suddenly  becoming  grave,  leaning  forward,  and  looking 
me  in  the  face,  "  do  not  let  his  words,  whatever  they 
were,  make  you  so  sad.  He  has  ruined  your  evening 
for  you,  I  see.  Believe  me,  nothing  that  he  can  tell  you 
is  worth  a  moment's  unhappiness,  unless  it  is  something 
which  concerns  you  personally,  which  is  not  likely.  In 
any  case,"  gazing  at  me  with  a  gleam  of  warmer  inter- 
est than  usual  in  his  eyes,  "  do  not  let  anything  he  says 
make  you  look  so  wretched  as  you  did  when  I  came  up 
to  you  just  now.  I  — "  Before  he  could  finish  his 
sentence,  or  I  could  reply,  Alice  came  in,  with  the  oth- 
ers of  our  party,  and  we  wended  our  way  towards  the 
door. 

George's  few  words  put  new  courage  into  me,  for 
some  reason,  and  I  felt  quite  cheerful  when  we  reached 
home,  so  that  I  proposed  to  Judith  to  awaken  Tom  and 
Grace,  and  give  them  an  account  of  our  adventures. 
We  had  some  difficulty  in  arousing  them,  but  at  last 
succeeded  in  getting  Grace  up.  She  enveloped  herself 
in  a  wrapper,  and  came  out  into  her  dressing-room  to 
listen  to  our  narrative. 

"  Well,  Grace,"  I  said,  tilting  myself  on  the  arm  of  a 
chair,  "  you  never  saw  anything  so  magnificent  in  your 
life.  We  walked  through  a  mile  or  two  of  corridors 
and  halls,  brilliantly  lighted  with  candles  —  " 


A    COURT  BALL.  I?l 

"  Tallow-dips  or  spermaceti  ? "  called  Tom  from  be- 
hind the  screen,  in  a  loud  voice. 

"  High-arched  ceilings  over  our  heads,"  I  continued, 
regardless  of  this  interruption.  "  Finally  we  came  to 
the  Salle  des  N6gres, —  so  called  because  at  the  doors 
which  lead  from  there  to  the  apartments  of  the  Emperor, 
two  Arabians,  dressed  in  white,  are  stationed  as  guards. 
Next  came  an  octagonal  room,  lined  with  tables  holding 
tea,  cakes,  and  ices.  So  on,  through  more  magnificent 
halls  —  " 

"  Did  you  count  all  this  in  your  two  or  three  miles  ? " 
asked  Tom  meekly ;  but  I  vouchsafed  no  reply. 

"  The  floors  were  polished  until  they  were  like  ice. 
At  last  we  came  to  a  perfect  dream  of  splendor.  It  was 
a  long  corridor,  ornamented  with  plants,  and  containing 
a  table  which  ran  the  entire  length  of  it,  holding  tea, 
cakes,  and  other  refreshment.  The  green  plants,  the 
white  table-cloth,  the  glittering  glass  and  silver,  the  lights 
overhead,  all  grew  smaller,  and  smaller,  and  smaller, 
and  smaller,  until  they  dwindled  into  nothing,  simply 
because  the  eye  could  reach  no  farther." 

"  Oh,  come  now !  "  as  I  stopped  for  comment. 

"  True,  Tom,"  spoke  up  Judith. 

"  This  corridor,"  I  continued,  "  was  separated  from 
the  ball-room  by  a  row  of  Corinthian  columns,  *which 
were  wound  with  evergreens  interspersed  with  lighted 
candles.  The  room  was  immensely  high,  a  balcony  with 
carved  balustrade  surrounded  it,  and  the  walls  were 
lined  with  immense  palms  and  magnolias.  Servants  in 
red,  yellow,  and  white  livery  stood  behind  the  tables  to 


1/2  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

serve  us.  Maids  of  honor  and  Russian  ladies  were 
arranged  in  a  line  extending  from  the  door  where  the 
imperial  family  was  to  enter ;  opposite  them  were  the  la- 
dies of  the  diplomatic  corps.  Opposite  the  door,  upon 
which  all  eyes  were  fixed,  were  Russian  gentlemen,  all 
in  court  or  military  uniform.  The  door  opened,  the 
murmur  of  voices  ceased,  a  master  of  ceremonies  en- 
tered, and  soon  after  the  Emperor  and  his  family.  He 
bowed,  and  the  answering  courtesies  made  the  room  look 
like  a  field  of  wheat  in  a  wind." 

"  Old,  but  appropriate.     Go  on." 

"  The  Emperor  talked  a  little  with  some  members  of 
the  diplomatic  body,  and  then  opened  the  ball  with  a 
polonaise.  I  need  not  describe  that  to  you." 

"  Judith,"  said  Grace  suddenly,  "  I  hope  you  did  not 
tear  your  dress." 

"  Mine  is  nearly  demolished,"  I  said  sadly,  "  but  Ju- 
dith's is  as  good  as  new.  She  must  have  kept  very 
quiet  somewhere  to  get  it  torn  so  little.  Come,  Judith  ! 
They  don't  appreciate  our  description.  Let  us  go  to 
bed  and  leave  them." 

When  we  reached  the  door,  Tom  called  out  in  a  wide- 
awake tone,  "  Hold  on  !  "  But  we  refused  to  listen.  I 
was  sound  asleep  a  few  minutes  after  my  head  touched 
the  pillow. 

•  Evening. 

I  have  just  had  a  long  talk  with  Judith.  After  what 
she  has  told  me,  I  am  sure  nothing  could  astonish  me ; 
the  heavens  might  fall,  and  I  should  think  that  all  was 
as  it  should  be. 


A    COURT  BALL.  1 73 

We  went  to  walk  together,  taking  Mathilde  to  guard 
us.  As  usual  on  the  Nevsky,  we  met  Circassians,  Geor- 
gians, Turks,  Persians,  and  Cossacks,  —  every  nation- 
ality under  the  sun.  Some  of  the  church-bells  were 
ringing,  and  at  the  sound  the  istvostchiks  took  off  their 
hats  and  crossed  themselves  devoutly.  We  had  not 
gone  many  yards  before  Judith  turned  to  me  with  a 
laugh,  saying,  — 

"  Did  you  think  I  was  a  little  insane  last  night,  my 
dear?" 

"  Not  exactly,"  I  answered.  "  I  have  seen  the  mat- 
ter coming  to  this  point  for  some  time." 

"  Have  you  ? "  (opening  her  eyes  in  surprise).  "  I  did 
not  suppose  you  had  the  remotest  idea  of  it." 

"Why,  Judith,  you  know  I  thought  long  ago  that 
he  cared  for  you ! " 

She  looked  puzzled,  and  then  amused. 

"O  Dorris,"  she  said,  "I  really  believe  there  has 
been  a  misunderstanding.  You  surely  did  not  think  — 
did  you  think  I  meant  George  ? "  turning  a  laughing 
face  eagerly  upon  me. 

"  Of  course,"  I  responded,  with  a  catch  in  my  breath. 
"  Who  else  could  it  be  ? " 

"  It  is  not  George,"  Judith  said,  walking  on  quietly. 
"  It  is  some  one  whom  you  have  never  seen  —  " 

"  Ah ! "  I  interrupted,  stopping  in  the  middle  of  the 
street  at  the  risk  of  being  run  over,  and  staring  at  my 
cousin.  "  It  is  —  " 

She  took  me  by  the  arm  and  pulled  me  across  the 
street.  "  How  reckless  you  are  !  " 


1/4  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  But,"  I  persisted,  "  it  must  be  the  young  man  in 
Vienna,  —  the  one  whom  Mr.  Tremaine  wrote  me  about, 
—  Roger  Fisk.  Is  it  he,  Judith  ? "  with  an  appealing 
look. 

"What  did  Mr.  Tremaine  write  you  about  him  ? "  she 
asked  eagerly. 

"  But  is  it  he  ?  " 

"  What  did  my  guardian  say  about  him  ? "  she  repeated 
with  emphasis. 

"  I  will  not  go  another  step,"  I  exclaimed,  stopping  in 
front  of  the  Kazan  Church,  "  until  you  tell  me  whether 
it  was  Roger  Fisk  that  you  were  talking  about." 

She  laughed  in  spite  of  herself.     "  Yes,  it  was." 

"  Who  would  have  dreamed  it  ? "  I  murmured,  con- 
tinuing my  way.  "  Who  would  have  thought  you  were 
in  love  ? " 

"  Come,  Dorris,  you  are  very  provoking ! "  said  my 
cousin,  looking  as  if  she  thought  of  pouting.  "Why 
don't  you  tell  me  about  Mr.  Tremaine's  letter  ?  " 

"  He  only  said  that  Mr.  Fisk  had  written  to  him,  but 
that  he  would  consent  to  no  engagement  until  you 
were  of  age." 

"  I  shall  be  twenty-one  in  August,"  she  cried  trium- 
phantly. "  What  else  did  he  say  ?  " 

"  Only  that  he  wondered  how  you  had  succeeded  in 
making  your  mutual  confessions  when  you  were  in  a 
strict  boarding-school." 

She  laughed  immoderately. 

"  Dorris,  I  have  known  Roger  for  four  years." 

I  gazed  at  her  blankly. 


A    COURT  BALL.  175 

"  But  you  have  only  been  in  Europe  four  years ! " 

"Very  true.  I  met  Roger  the  week  after  I  arrived  in 
Paris,  at  the  house  of  a  lady  who  was  extremely  kind 
to  me.  I  believe  you  know  her.  It  was  Mrs.  Emmons. 
I  used  to  dine  with  her  often,  and  he  was  generally 
there,  and  we  had  plenty  of  other  mutual  friends  in  the 
American  colony.  Roger  was  studying  in  the  hospitals. 
He  went  to  Vienna  ten  months  after  I  entered  the  school 
there,  and  in  that  city  we  could  not  have  met  often,  except 
that  I  used  to  go  to  riding-school  with  one  of  the  teach- 
ers, who  was  absorbed  in  the  study  of  Italian.  She  had 
a  chance  to  go  to  Italy  with  a  family  in  the  vacation, 
and  as  they  supposed  her  to  be  proficient  in  the  lan- 
guage, it  behooved  her  to  study  diligently.  She  used  to 
take  her  books  with  her,  and  she  never  noticed  me  from 
the  time  we  got  there  till  we  left.  Roger  always  met 
me,  and  in  that  way  we  saw  each  other  regularly  twice 
a  week.  It  was  great  fun  !  "  Judith  looked  at  me  with 
a  broad  smile. 

"  I  should  think  so,"  I  responded.  "  What  an  excel- 
lent plan  it  is  to  send  girls  abroad  to  school !  " 

"  I  knew  Mr.  Tremaine  would  never  consent,"  she 
went  on,  after  a  while.  "  I  told  Roger  it  was  of  no  use 
to  write  ;  but  he  said  there  should  be  no  deceit  about  the 
affair,  if  he  could  prevent  it,  and  —  " 

"Yes,"  I  interrupted,  "it  seems  to  have  been  a 
very  open  and  straightforward  performance,  —  espe- 
cially the  meetings  at  the  riding-school." 

"  Now,  Dorris,"  she  said  coaxingly,  "  don't  be  unkind 
about  it ! " 


THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 


"  My  dear  child,"  I  replied  briskly,  "  I  am  more 
pleased  with  you  than  I  can  say.  I  did  not  know  that 
you  were  capable  of  such  constancy,  and  I  cannot  praise 
you  too  highly." 

"  That  's  a  dear  !  If  we  were  not  in  the  street,  I  would 
kiss  you.  So  you  do  not  think  it  is  such  a  foolish  affair, 
after  all  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  say  that.  Worldly  people  would  tell  you 
that  you  were  wild.  But  I  don't  see  anything  so  strange 
in  your  looking  forward  to  an  engagement  at  some  future 
date." 

She  looked  a  little  crestfallen. 

"  I  am  engaged  to  him  now,"  she  murmured. 

"  Well,  I  don't  think  you  can  expect  me  to  approve  of 
that  !  " 

"  I  shall  be  twenty-one  in  the  summer  ;  Roger  is  com- 
ing home  in  the  fall,  and  will  begin  to  practise  at  once. 
Surely,  that  is  not  such  a  dismal  prospect." 

"  Mr.  Tremaine  would  call  it  so." 

"  I  don't  care  at  all  what  he  calls  it,"  she  responded 
pettishly.  "  I  love  Roger,  and  no  one  else  ;  and  I  never 
will  marry  any  one  but  him  !  " 

"  Bravo  !  "  I  cried.  "  I  admire  your  resolution." 
Then,  as  the  thought  of  sundry  flirtations  which  had 
been  going  on  lately  in  Petersburg  travelled  through 
my  mind,  I  added,  in  a  cooler  tone,  "If  you  only 
live  up  to  your  idea,  and  don't  change  your  mind." 

"Roger  is  not  afraid  to  trust  me.  He  was  afraid  when 
I  left  Paris:  he  did  not  expect  me  to  be  true  to  him  ;  and 
the  first  time  he  met  me,  after  that  ten  months'  separa- 


A    COURT  BALL.  177 

tion,  he  was  very  doubtful  about  the  reception  I  should 
give  him.  But  when  he  found  that  such  a  long  absence 
had  made  no  difference,  he  decided  that  he  could  trust 
me  forever.  You  see  he  thinks  I  am  a  coquette  by  na- 
ture, and  mean  no  harm,"  she  added  earnestly. 

"  Strange  that  he  should  "  (ironically).  "  But  do  you 
mean  to  tell  me  that  you  were  engaged  to  him  before 
you  left  Paris  ?  "  I  demanded  in  blank  dismay. 

"  Yes,"  answered  my  cousin  meekly. 

"Judith,  come  home!"  (turning  and  beginning  to  re- 
trace my  steps).  "I  did  not  suppose  you  had  such 
depths  of  deceit  in  you." 

"  Don't  be  vexed ! "  she  panted,  struggling  to  keep  up 
with  my  hasty  steps. 

"  I  am  not.     I  am  only  utterly  amazed." 

When  we  turned  in  at  our  own  door,  and  began  the 
ascent  to  our  apartment,  a  thought  of  George  flashed 
across  me.  I  sat  down  on  the  stairs. 

"  What  are  you  doing  ?  "  exclaimed  my  companion, 
her  eyes  dancing  with  amusement. 

"  Unhappy  girl !  "  I  cried,  in  a  voice  which  I  tried  to 
make  severe.  "  How  about  George,  and  all  the  others  ?  " 

"The  others  can  take  care  of  themselves.  As  for 
George,  he  knows  the  whole  story.  Take  care,  Dorris  ! 
You  will  lose  your  eyes  !  Yes,  I  told  George  about  it 
long  ago  ;  for  when  he  was  in  Vienna,  he  and  Roger 
were  great  friends,  and  you  cannot  imagine  how  I  have 
enjoyed  talking  with  him  about  Roger.  He  gives  me 
ever  so  much  encouragement.  But  come !  Are  you  go- 
ing to  sit  there  all  day  ?  " 

12 


1 78  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

I  rose  slowly,  and  continued  the  ascent. 

"  Then  George  is  not  in  love  with  you,  after  all  ?  " 

"  In  love  with  me  ? "  (emphatically).  "  Far  from  it  1 
He  never  has  been,  and  never  will  be." 

"  All  his  attention  to  you,  which  I  took  for  pure  de- 
votion, was  sympathy?  The  reason  you  and  he  were  so 
fond  of  talking  together  was  because  you  talked  of 
Roger  ? " 

"  Yes ;  and  when  I  was  blue,  he  used  to  comfort  me, 
and  tell  me  that  things  would  come  out  right  in  the  end. 
He  advised  me  many  times  to  confide  in  you ;  but  I 
never  could  get  courage  enough." 

"Well,"  said  I,  as  we  entered  the  library-door  to- 
gether, "  if  anything  remains  of  me  after  the  successive 
shocks  you  have  given  me,  it  will  be  almost  a  miracle. 
How  fortunate  that  the  servants  understand  no  English ! 
Judith,  you  are  a  good  girl  "  (giving  her  rather  an 
awkward  embrace,  for  I  am  not  of  a  caressing  disposi- 
tion). "I  cannot  talk  anymore  about  it  now;  for  I  must 
write  it  down  in  my  journal." 


MORE  REVELATIONS. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

MORE     REVELATIONS. 

Saturday,  January  — . 

'T^OM  cheerfully  remarked,  apropos  of  Prince  Tucheff 
-*•  and  his  disappointment  about  Judith,  that  men 
always  get  over  these  things.  I  dare  say  Mr.  Thurber  is 
no  exception  to  this  rule.  He  came  here  this  morning, 
told  me  frankly  that  he  loved  me,  and  asked  me  if  I 
could  return  his  affection.  I  knew  that  it  was  right  to 
confess  the  truth  to  him,  so  I  said  that  I  was  very  fond 
of  him  as  a  friend,  but  I  did  not  love  him.  I  offered 
him  my  friendship,  which  seems  to  be  the  proper  thing 
to  do  under  such  circumstances,  but  which  is  very  much 
like  giving  a  child  crackers  when  it  cries  for  plum 
pudding. 

He  took  my  answer  quietly,  left  me  abruptly,  and 
I  was  alone  nearly  all  day,  being  kept  in  the  house  by  a 
cold.  At  twilight,  as  I  was  standing  by  the  double 
window,  watching  the  row  of  lights  in  the  Gastinni 
Dvor,  and  the  half-frozen  istvostchiks  slapping  their 
hands  together  and  stamping  their  feet,  there  was  a 
ring  at  the  door-bell.  A  servant  entered  at  the  same 
time  with  lights,  but  I  motioned  him  away  and  said, 
"  Nyett,"  and  he  left  me  with  only  the  firelight  and  the 


180  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

fast-waning  day.  The  outer  door  opened ;  I  paid  no 
attention  to  it,  but  kept  on  watching  the  cheerless  scene 
outside.  Men  and  women  in  long,  shapeless  cloaks, 
each  one  looking  exactly  like  the  other,  chins  deeply 
buried  in  furs,  eyes  and  noses  alone  visible  ;  thousands 
of  tiny  sledges  flying  past ;  moujiks  scraping  the  snow 
up ;  great  flakes  beginning  to  descend,  —  a  sight  rarely 
vouchsafed  us  here ;  and  at  length  a  funeral  procession, 
the  mourners  all  trudging  through  the  snow,  with  their 
empty  carriages  following. 

The  door  was  opened,  the  portiere  pushed  aside,  and 
"  Monsieur  le  Comte  Piloff  "  was  announced. 

"  You  find  me  almost  in  the  dark,"  I  exclaimed.  "  If 
you  will  ring,  I  will  order  the  lamps." 

"  Not  unless  you  wish  it." 

"  I  am  not  fond  of  twilight  generally ;  but  let  us  wait 
till  it  is  a  little  darker,  for  this  obscurity  just  suits  my 
present  mood." 

"  Willingly  " ;  and  we  seated  ourselves,  I  in  a  large 
chair  by  the  window,  and  George  opposite  me. 

"  I  am  the  only  member  of  the  family  in  the  house," 
I  remarked  quietly. 

"  I  know  it.     I  met  them  driving." 

"  They  are  paying  visits ;  and  Tom  is  getting  the 
reputation  of  being  a  wit  by  the  entertaining  way  in 
which  he  describes  the  freezing  of  my  ear,  which  took 
place  a  few  days  ago.  My  misfortune  was  quite  a 
blessing  for  him;  it  gives  him  a  continual  subject  of 
conversation." 

"  Was  it  a  serious  freeze  ? " 


MORE  REVELATIONS.  l8l 

"I  thought  so.  Perhaps  you  Russians  would  con- 
sider it  a  mere  nothing.  The  resuscitation  was  the 
most  disagreeable  part  of  it.  Its  shape  now  is  some- 
thing wonderful,  but  they  tell  me  that  with  perse- 
vering applications  of  goose-grease,  I  shall  soon  re- 
cover." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,"  he  answered  rather  absently. 

There  was  a  pause,  and  I  looked  out  to  where  the 
darkness  was  descending,  and  wished  that  I  was  at  home 
in  America. 

George's  voice  broke  in  upon  my  meditations.  "  I 
have  come  here  to-night  at  the  risk  of  seeming  presump- 
tuous and  making  myself  ridiculous.  I  know  you  gen- 
erally put  the  worst  construction  on  my  actions."  His 
tone  became  eager,  and  there  was  a  strange  appeal  in 
it.  "  Try  to  think,  for  once,  Miss  Romilly,  that  there  is 
a  good  motive  which  prompts  me.  If  there  is  such  a 
thing  in  your  nature  as  trust  and  confidence  in  any  one, 
exercise  it  now,  and  believe  in  me.  I  have  not  been 
unobservant,  and  it  seems  to  me  your  happiness  is 
largely  involved  in  this  matter." 

Could  this  be  George's  voice  ?  What  could  have  so 
moved  him?  I  wondered.  A  little  pang  shot  through 
my  heart  at  his  words,  and  I  clasped  my  fingers  together 
tightly  as  he  went  on  :  — 

"I  saw  Thurber  this  morning;  he  had  just  come 
from  you.  Of  course  I  guessed  what  had  occurred." 
He  hesitated  for  a  moment,  as  if  reluctant  to  proceed  ; 
then,  in  a  more  conciliatory  tone,  — 

"  Would  you  mind  telling  me  why  you  refused  him  ? " 


1 82  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

"  Indeed  I  should,  very  much,"  I  answered  quietly, 
recovering  myself  suddenly. 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment. 

"  I  think  I  know,"  said  he  boldly.  "  I  am  sure  you 
would  be  surprised  if  you  knew  how  well  I  have  read 
your  thoughts  for  the  last  few  weeks.  In  the  first 
place,  you  imagined  that  Thurber  was  in  love  with  your 
cousin." 

An  expectant  pause,  but  I  made  no  reply. 

"  Then  you  thought  that  he  hesitated  after  you  told 
him  that  story  about  your  uncle." 

Still  I  maintained  an  imperturbable  silence. 

"These  two  things  combined  to  make  you  doubt  him. 
It  is  natural  for  you  to  doubt.  You  made  up  your  mind 
that  he  was  not  as  much  in  love  with  you  as  he  might  be; 
and  you  have  ruined  his  happiness  and  your  own  for  a 
freak.  Do  you  suppose  I  have  not  seen  how  much  you 
care  for  him  ?  " 

Very  calmly  George  spoke  these  words ;  and  although 
they  struck  me  like  a  thunder-clap,  his  self-control  com- 
municated itself  to  me.  It  was  a  little  absurd,  too,  to 
be  told  so  quietly  that  I  was  in  love  with  this  other  man. 
George's  cold,  clear  voice,  informing  me  calmly  of  the 
condition  of  my  heart !  I  spoke  quietly  in  reply, 
though  I  was  more  inclined  to  laugh  than  do  anything 
else. 

"  Are  you  not  rather  hasty  in  your  judgment  ?  " 

"Possibly;  but  as  you  refuse  to  tell  me  why  you  would 
not  have  Thurber,  I  am  forced  to  judge  simply  by  appear- 
ances." 


MORE  REVELATIONS.  183 

"Why  should  you  be  so  excited  over  a  small 
matter  ? " 

He  had  shown  no  excitement,  but  I  hoped  to  irri- 
tate him  by  the  question.  My  expectations  were  not 
realized. 

"  It  certainly  should  be  a  small  matter  to  me  whether 
you  accept  a  certain  suitor  or  not,"  he  answered  in  the 
same  calm  voice ;  "  but  when  that  suitor  is  my  friend, 
and  when  your  conduct  has  led  him  as  well  as  me  to 
suppose  that  you  did  not  regard  him  with  indifference,  it 
becomes  another  thing ;  and  if  I  imagine  that  by  put- 
ting the  case  clearly  before  you,  and  combatting  any 
false  ideas  which  may  have  crept  into  your  mind,  I  can 
cause  you  to  reconsider  your  decision,  I  am  justified  in 
using  plain  language." 

Here  was  another  thunderbolt !  I  had  led  Mr. 
Thurber  to  think  I  was  in  love  with  him  !  The  dark- 
ness had  settled  down  upon  us ;  but  the  fire-light  cast 
queer,  flickering  shadows  into  the  corners. 

"  If,"  he  continued,  after  a  pause,  "  you  have  any  lin- 
gering doubts  of  Thurber's  fondness  for  you,  I  can  lay 
them  at  rest.  I  know  that  ever  since  you  came  to  Pe- 
tersburg, he  has  been  in  love  with  you.  All  his  friends 
have  noticed  the  change  in  him.  If  you  could  have 
seen  the  state  he  was  in  after  he  left  you  this  morning,"  — 
he  broke  off  suddenly. 

"  I  begin  to  think,"  he  went  on  presently,  with  an  un- 
easy laugh,  "that  I  have  come  on  a  Quixotic  errand.  I 
started  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  thinking  I  could 
help  matters ;  but  I  see  that  my  efforts  are  unwelcome, 
and  my  friendly  spirit  meets  with  no  response." 


,  1 84  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"You  hinted  just  now,"  I  said,  in  a  voice  which  I 
vainly  strove  to  render  steady,  "  at  encouragement  which 
1  had  given.  Did  Mr.  Thurber  lead  you  to  suppose  that 
I  had  encouraged  him  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not." 

At  this  moment  the  servant  brought  in  the  lamp, 
which  cast  a  faint  pink  light  over  to  the  window  where 
I  sat.  I  waited  until  the  curtains  were  drawn,  and  the 
man  had  left  the  room.  I  felt  that  the  light  was  betray- 
ing to  George  the  state  of  excitement  in  which  I  was ; 
for  my  cheeks  were  blazing,  and  my  under  lip  quiv- 
ering, as  it  has  a  disagreeable  trick  of  doing  when  I  am 
nervous.  There  was  no  hope  of  escaping  George's  scru- 
tiny :  his  eyes  were  devouring  my  face,  as  I  saw  in  the 
quick  glance  which  I  cast  at  him.  I  threw  concealment 
to  the  winds,  and  turned  upon  him. 

"  No  one  was  ever  so  cruelly  unjust  to  me  before," 
I  cried,  with  a  break  in  my  voice,  "  as  to  call  me  a  flirt. 
If  there  is  one  bad  quality  in  this  world  which  I  lack,  it 
is  that.  Anything"  (proudly  forcing  back  the  tears), 
"  anything  you  choose  to  call  me  I  will  not  protest 
against,  except  that." 

I  folded  my  hands  over  the  arms  of  my  chair,  sat  bolt 
upright,  and  faced  him  boldly. 

"  It  is  a  piece  of  unwarrantable  impertinence  for  you  to 
talk  to  me  in  this  way,"  I  continued. 

He  looked  at  me  earnestly  for  a  moment,  then 
dropped  his  eyes  on  the  carpet,  and  murmured,  "  I 
fear  so." 

There  was  silence  for  some  seconds. 


MORE  REVELATIONS.  185 

"I  did  not  mean,"  he  said,  looking  at  me  again,  "that 
you  deliberately  flirted  with  him.  You  women  have  a 
way  of  encouraging  a  man,  —  unconsciously,  I  suppose  " 
(with  a  touch  of  bitterness).  "  You  flatter  him  by  smil 
ing  at  him,  and  listening  to  his  words  as  if  you  were  read- 
ing an  entertaining  book;  but  when  he  is  fool  enough 
to  think  this  means  that  you  love  him,  he  finds  out  his 
mistake  ;  and  the  woman  is  considered  magnanimous  if 
she  does  not  laugh  at  him  for  his  folly.  My  God  !  "  he 
cried,  jumping  up  and  pacing  the  room  with  a  heavy 
step,  "  do  you  know  what  it  is  to  be  in  love  ?  Do  you 
know  "  (stopping  in  front  of  me,  and  looking  at  me 
with  a  severity  which  frightened  me), —  "do  you  know 
what  it  is  to  be  so  bound  up  in  a  person  that  her  every 
look,  her  every  breath,  is  something  dear  and  precious  to 
you?  That  nothing  which  this  world  or  the  next  can 
offer  seems  of  any  value  to  you,  without  her  love?" 
Then,  turning  on  his  heel,  and  walking  away  from  me 
with  a  contemptuous  laugh:  "What  insufferable  foolish- 
ness for  me  to  talk  to  you  like  this  !  You  have  never 
fathomed  the  meaning  of  the  word  love." 

He  threw  himself  into  the  chair  opposite  me  again. 

"  Count  Piloff !"  I  exclaimed,  trembling  from  head  to 
foot,  but  resolved  to  stem  the  torrent  of  his  vehemence, 
"  You  shall  say  no  more  till  you  have  heard  me.  What 
I  may  think  of  you  for  your  conduct  is,  doubtless,  of 
little  importance  to  you  ;  but  you  shall  know  the  reason 
I  refused  Mr.  Thurber,  and  then  you  shall  leave  me  " 
(with  a  feeble  attempt  at  dignity). 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  more  calmly  ;  "  I  for- 
got myself." 


1 86  TEE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

"  I  do  not  love  Mr.  Thurber,"  I  continued  ;  "  there- 
fore, I  refused  him."  I  looked  steadily  at  George's 
downcast  head  as  I  spoke.  "  Many  years  ago,  when  I 
was  seventeen  years  old,  I  was  engaged  to  be  married. 
The  man  whom  I  loved  dearly  enough  to  promise  to 
marry,  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  my  family,  was  taken 
from  me  by  death.  Since  then  I  have  seen  no  one  who 
has  tempted  me  to  be  false  to  my  first  love.  I  give  you 
this  explanation,  not  because  you  have  any  right  to  it, 
but  to  justify  myself.  Now,  I  hope  I  shall  never  see  you 
again  !  "  and  I  buried  my  face  in  my  hands,  feeling  that 
it  was  useless  to  struggle  against  the  sobs  which  would 
make  themselves  heard. 

The  faint  crackle  of  the  fire  was  the  only  other  sound 
in  the  room  for  a  few  minutes.  Presently  George's  hand 
touched  my  arm,  and  rested  there  for  a  second,  as  he 
said,  in  a  low,  gentle  voice,  — 

"  Don't  cry,  my  darling !  I  love  you,  and  I  cannot 
bear  to  see  you  cry." 

I  raised  my  head  suddenly,  and  turned  my  tear-stained 
face  on  him. 

"  What  do  you  tell  me  ?  "  I  cried. 

He  met  my  astounded  look  with  a  pair  of  honest,  sor- 
rowful eyes.  I  dropped  back  into  my  chair,  and  covered 
my  face  again,  while  silence  fell  upon  us. 

"I  suppose,"  said  George  sadly,  "that  I  am  doubly 
hateful  to  you  now.  I  will  go  away  from  here  to-night, 
and  you  shall  never  see  me  again,  if  that  is  your  wish. 
It  is  a  humiliation  to  have  confessed  that,  in  spite  of 
your  contempt,  your  want  of  confidence  in  me,  and  the 


MORE  REVELATIONS.  l8/ 

many  times  you  have  cut  me  to  the  heart  by  the  plain 
expression  of  your  dislike,  I  am  weak  enough  to  care 
for  you.  I  never  meant  you  to  know  it.  Now  that  I 
have  betrayed  myself,  however  "  (biting  his  mustache 
nervously,  while  I  dropped  my  hands  in  my  lap,  and 
looked  straight  into  his  face),  "  it  is  as  well  for  me  to 
tell  you  frankly  that  my  future  seems  dark,  and  my 
whole^life  worthless.  You  once  told  me  I  had  no  depth 
of  feeling.  You  are  as  incapable  of  measuring  the 
anguish  I  feel  as  a  child  would  be !  Would  to  heaven 
I  had  '  no  depth  of  feeling ' !  In  that  case  it  would 
have  given  me  no  pain  to  see  the  poorly  concealed 
aversion  with  which  you  always  have  turned  from 
me." 

He  broke  off  abruptly,  with  a  short,  bitter  laugh. 

"  I  grow  garrulous,"  he  cried.  "  Why  do  you  not  tell 
me  that  I  bore  you  ?  I  came  to  plead  for  Thurber,  and 
I  spend  the  time  talking  about  myself.  I  should  never 
have  taken  any  steps  in  the  matter  had  I  not  thought 
that  your  happiness  was  involved,  —  Thurber  is  nothing 
to  me.  I  will  go  away"  (rising  to  his  feet);  but  I  put 
out  my  hand,  and  murmured,  — 

"  No,  not  yet.     I  must  speak  to  you  before  you  go." 

He  sat  down  obediently  and  waited.  I  looked  at 
him  attentively.  He  was  surely  in  his  right  mind.  How 
blind  I  had  been,  —  how  stupidly  blind  ! 

"I  hardly  know  what  I  am  saying,"  I  began,  "for  I 
have  a  splitting  headache.  But  I  want  to  tell  you  that 
I  think  you  must  be  mistaken,  but  —  but  —  I  am  —  "  I 
rubbed  my  forehead  and  hesitated  for  a  word. 


1 88  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

George  looked  at  me  more  calmly  than  before  I  began 
to  speak,  and  waited. 

."I  am  very  sorry,"  I  said  slowly  and  disconsolately, 
plaiting  up  my  pocket-handkerchief  in  my  warm  fingers. 
Stealing  another  glance  at  him,  I  added  :  — 

"  I  did  not  mean  it  when  I  said  I  hoped  I  should 
never  see  you  again.  I  hope  you  will  continue  to  come 
the  same  as  ever,  and  that  you  will  give  no  one  any 
cause  to  suspect  what  you  have  told  me  "  (in  the  same 
dismal  tone,  playing  with  my  rings  as  if  my  one  object 
in  life  was  to  see  how  near  they  would  come  to  the  ends 
of  my  fingers  without  slipping  off.  George  watched  my 
experiments  with  the  greatest  apparent  interest).  "  It 
is  very  strange  to  me,"  I  went  on,  after  a  pause,  "  that 
you  should  care  for  any  one  whom  you  have  just  de- 
clared to  have  no  faith  in  any  human  being,  whom  you 
consider  a  coquette,  and  who  has  not  heart  enough  to 
know  what  love  means."  I  stopped,  but  George  made 
no  attempt  to  reply. 

"  I  am  sure  that  you  will  change  —  "  Here  I  was  sud- 
denly interrupted. 

My  companion  pushed  his  chair  back,  and  jumped  up 
impulsively. 

"The  only  hope  I  have,"  he  cried,  "is  that  I  shall 
change.  But  just  now  you  must  not  tell  me  that  you  are 
sure  I  shall.  Oh  !  "  (with  a  sudden  change  of  manner) 
"  don't  mind  what  I  say !  " 

He  walked  over  to  the  chimney,  where  he  looked  into 
the  bed  of  coals  as  if  to  read  something  in  the  glowing 
fire. 


MORE  REVELATIONS.  189 

"  I  was  unkind  as  well  as  rude  to  you,"  he  went  on, 
never  removing  his  gaze  from  the  fire.  "  Forgive  me ! 
In  future  you  shall  not  be  reminded  of  this  folly." 

He  came  nearer  and  stood  in  front  of  me,  saying, 
"  You  should  be  willing  to  forgive  me  for  the  disagreea- 
ble things  I  have  said,  when  you  remember  how  small  a 
part  I  have  in  your  life.  Only  a  few  weeks  out  of  a  life- 
time !  Even  if  I  had  power  to  make  them  all  unhappy, 
it  would  be  a  small  proportion  to  the  happy  weeks 
which  some  one  more  fortunate  than  I  will  give  you. 
For  I  am  sure  that  your  heart  will  some  day  be  more 
fully  awakened  than  it  is  now.  What  does  a  girl  of 
seventeen  know  of  love  ?  Believe  me,  there  is  a  depth 
of  devotion  in  your  nature  which  has  never  been 
sounded.  I  am  sorry  "  (walking  back  to  the  fireplace 
and  speaking  very  sadly)  "  I  am  sorry  that  I  made  you 
cry."  He  added  wistfully,  after  a  moment,  "  I  suppose 
I  may  go  now  ?  " 

I  walked  over  to  where  he  stood  in  front  of  the  fire, 
and  looked  up  at  him  with  a  weak  attempt  at  a  smile. 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  something,"  I  said.  "  But  you 
must  promise  not  to  be  hurt  or  angry  with  me  for  asking 
the  question." 

"I  promise,"  he  replied  gravely. 

"Did  you  make  a  bet  at  the  club  that  you  would 
marry  an  heiress  within  six  months  ?  " 

He  grew  white  to  his  very  lips,  and,  moving  his  hand 
impetuously,  he  swept  poker  and  tongs  to  the  floor  with 
a  great  clatter. 

Although  I  was  certainly  deeply  in  earnest,  this  little 


190  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

incident  amused  me,  and  I  smiled.  George  paid  no 
more  attention  to  the  havoc  he  had  caused  than  he  did 
to  the  snow-storm  outside. 

"  Who  told  you  that  ?  "  he  cried. 

"  Hush  ! "  I  answered.     "  No  matter  who  told  me." 

"  And  you  could  believe  that  of  me  !  "  he  murmured, 
with  a  look  of  concentrated  mortification  and  sorrow. 

"  No !  "  I  exclaimed  impulsively.  "  No,  no  !  I  don't 
believe  it." 

"  But  you  did.  Well,  it  is  as  false  as  the  heart  of  the 
man  or  woman  who  told  you." 

Here  he  glanced  at  the  prostrate  tongs,  and  concluded 
to  pick  them  up  ;  and  I  observed,  in  a  melancholy  tone, 
"  There  is  the  poker,  too." 

"  I  will  go  away,"  he  said,  grasping  the  poker  absently 
in  his  hand,  "  and  you  must  try  to  forget  all  I  have  said. 
Good-by"  (looking  at  me  wistfully). 

I  put  out  my  hand ;  he  held  it  for  a  moment,  then 
rushed  at  the  door,  discovered  that  he  had  left  his  hat, 
and  came  back,  still  clinging  to  the  poker. 

What  demon  of  nervousness  was  it  which  made  me 
burst  out  laughing  when  he  laid  the  poker  down  on  the 
table  and  took  up  his  hat!  He  looked  at  me  with  a 
sort  of  dull  reproach. 

"  I  know  I  am  very  ridiculous,"  he  said. 

"It  is  not  that,"  I  cried.  "It  is  —  I  don't  know 
what  is  the  matter  with  me.  I  am  nervous." 

This  was  not  strictly  true.  Almost  every  man  is 
somewhat  ridiculous  when  he  is  making  love  to  a 
woman  who  does  not  care  for  him  ;  and  George,  grasp- 


MORE  REVELATIONS.  191 

ing  the  poker  instead  of  his  hat,  was  irresistibly 
funny. 

After  he  had  gone  I  spent  an  hour  in  reflection.  All 
my  self-examination  fails  to  convict  me  of  coquetry  with 
either  of  these  men.  I  am  very  unhappy,  for  I  have 
made  them  so  ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  things  will  be  un- 
comfortable. 

I  am  ashamed  that  I  should  have  believed .  Sacha's 
story.  Is  it  club  gossip,  or  did  he  tell  a  deliberate 
falsehood?  I  like  George  more  than  I  would  have 
believed  possible  a  month  ago.  Still,  I  think  I  prefer 
Mr.  Thurber. 


1 92  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 


CHAPTER     XIV. 

MARIE    TALKE. 

Monday,  January  — . 

T  AWOKE  yesterday  morning  with  a  severe  head- 
-*•  ache  and  influenza.  The  exciting  scene  of  the  day 
before  was  still  fresh  in  my  mind.  If  I  had  chosen  to 
weep  all  day,  no  one  would  have  been  any  wiser,  for  my 
nose  and  eyes  were  both  as  red  and  swollen  as  a  gallon 
of  tears  could  have  made  them. 

"  You  cannot  go  to  the  theatre  to-night !  "  Grace 
exclaimed  in  horror  when  she  saw  me. 

"Serves  her  right,"  said  Tom.  "The  idea  of  a 
woman  who  was  born  and  brought  up  in  New  England, 
going  to  the  theatre  on  Sunday !  I  can't  understand 
how  you  harbored  the  notion  for  a  moment." 

"  It  is  one  chance  in  a  lifetime,"  interposed  Judith. 
"  A  gala-night,  when  every  one  in  the  house  will  be  the 
guest  of  the  Emperor ;  and  all  the  wedding  party  there 
too  !  You  must  go,  Dorris,  even  if  you  are  ill  enough 
to  be  in  bed." 

"  I  shall  be  well  enough  to  go,"  I  answered  calmly. 

Tom  remarked  in  a  resigned  tone  that  he  had  no 
control  over  the  women  of  his  family. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  Mr.  Thurber  came  in.     He 


MARIE   TALKS.  193 

told  us  that  he  was  going  into  the  interior  of  Russia  for 
a  month  or  six  weeks,  with  some  other  young  men.  He 
managed  to  say  to  me  in  a  low  voice,  — 

"  I  must  see  you  before  I  go.  Can  you  give  me  an 
hour  in  the  morning  ?  " 

"  Come  and  dine  with  us,"  I  answered  aloud.  Tom 
cordially  seconded  the  invitation,  and  Mr.  Thurber 
accepted. 

I  made  my  toilet  before  dinner,  enveloped  myself  in 
a  huge  shawl,  and,  provided  with  a  smelling-bottle, 
went  down. 

"Tom,"  said  I  anxiously,  "do  I  look  so  very  ugly?" 

My  brother-in-law  surveyed  me  silently,  and  then 
expressed  himself  in  the  following  candid  way  :  — 

"  Your  dress  is  a  stunner,  Dorris,  and  makes  you  look 
first-rate  from  a  distance ;  and  I  don't  suppose  any  one 
in  the  theatre  will  notice  your  face.  You  are  pale, 
though  "  (reluctantly),  "  except  the  tip  end  of  your  nose, 
and  your  eyelids ;  and,  by  Jove ! "  (sympathetically) 
"  how  ill  you  look  !  Don't  you  think  you  had  better 
stay  at  home  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  replied  dismally,  wrapping  my  shawl  round 
me  again.  "I  don't  care  how  I  look,"  —  which  was  as 
true  as  such  speeches  generally  are. 

After  dinner  Judith  went  away  to  dress,  and  Tom, 
with  many  apologies,  took  Grace  off  to  their  regular 
weekly  occupation  of  making  up  accounts.  Mr.  Thurber 
and  I  were  left  alone. 

Suffice  it  to  say  that  when  that  interview  was  ended  I 
found  myself  pledged  to  a  certain  extent.  I  was  sur- 

18 


194  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

prised  to  find  that  it  was  so  when  I  thought  it  over 
afterwards.  I  could  not  tell  Mr.  Thurber  that  I  dis- 
liked him ;  neither  could  I  say  that  I  never  should  love 
him.  I  have  quite  an  affection  for  him,  and  I  told  him 
so.  Then  I  could  not  refuse  to  try  and  like  him  a  little 
more,  and  that  is  what  I  have  promised.  When  he 
returns  I  am  to  give  him  a  decided  answer.  I  feel 
infinitely  relieved  now,  and  I  have  no  doubt  it  will  end 
in  my  marrying  him. 

The  question  next  came  into  my  mind,  Should  I  tell 
George  ?  It  seemed  to  me  unnecessary,  and  I  resolved 
to  be  guided  by  circumstances.  I  was  driven  through 
the  illuminated  streets  in  rather  an  absent  frame  of 
mind,  Patient  crowds  were  standing  about,  waiting  for 
glimpses  of  grandeur. 

When  we  reached  the  theatre,  the  whole  of  the  build- 
ing was  covered  with  gas-jets,  forming  the  initials  "  A  " 
and  "  M,"  crowns,  stars,  and  various  other  devices. 
The  scene  inside  the  theatre  was  truly  regal.  In  the 
low  corridors,  as  we  entered,  were  crowds  of  officials  in 
full  uniform,  hurrying  about  in  excitement.  When  we 
opened  the  door  and  stepped  into  our  box,  a  blaze  of 
splendor  burst  upon  us.  The  house  was  made  brilliant 
by  a  row  of  electric  lights,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary 
chandelier  and  gas  jets. 

The  prevailing  colors  in  the  theatre  are  crimson  and 
gold?  The  imperial  box  —  thrice  as  high  and  as  wide 
as  the  others  —  is  directly  opposite  the  stage,  on  the 
second  story.  There  are  five  tiers  of  boxes  above  the 
parquet.  As  we  looked  down  on  the  floor,  not  a  plain 


MARIE   TALKE. 


black  coat  was  to  be  seen.  The  parquet  was  entirely 
filled  with  gentlemen,  and  was  one  mass  of  gorgeous 
color.  Uniforms,  orders,  decorations,  gold  and  silver 
lace,  swords,  and  bald  heads,  were  mingled  in  a  won- 
derful manner.  For  once  the  other  sex  rivalled  ours  in 
brilliancy  of  attire.  Not  a  shoulder  without  a  bright 
ribbon  across  it,  indicating  the  order  of  St.  Alexander, 
or  St.  Vladimir,  or  Saint  Somebody  Else. 

"  If  all  those  ribbons  were  taken  off,  and  pieced  to- 
gether," I  exclaimed,  "  they  would  stretch  round  the 
world." 

The  gentlemen's  costumes  were  so  elaborate  that  I 
sighed  to  think  how  much  time  must  have  been  spent  in 
the  arrangement  of  them.  The  parquet  was  a  living 
and  continually  moving  mass  of  gold,  silver,  and  bright 
colors. 

The  row  of  boxes  which  surrounded  this  was  filled 
with  ladies,  —  fans,  flashing  jewels,  white  arms  and 
necks,  and  rich  dresses.  The  great  imperial  box  was 
empty.  On  the  right  of  it  were  those  reserved  for  the 
diplomatic  corps.  The  representatives  of  different 
countries  seemed  trying  to  rival  each  other  in  splendor 
of  dress,  —  always  excepting  the  American  minister, 
who  on  these  state  occasions  is  conspicuous  by  his 
pla^n  black  dress,  and  absence  of  decorations.  There 
were  the  Chinese,  in  yellow,  two  of  them  wearing  large 
spectacles;  there  were  Persians  wearing  the  black,  and 
Turks  the  red,  fez,  —  each  nationality  in  a  different, 
gay  uniform. 

On  the  left  of  the  imperial  box  not  a  gentleman  was 


196  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

visible.  The  wives  and  families  of  the  ministers  of  the 
empire  occupied  the  seats. 

To  the  top  of  the  house  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  an 
array  of  ball-dresses,  jewels,  and  uniforms.  Even  the 
members  of  the  orchestra  were  in  uniform. 

We  had  time  to  criticise  everything ;  for  it  was  nine 
o'clock  before  there  were  any  signs  of  preparation  in  the 
imperial  box.  At  last  the  Grand  Chamberlain,  the  Min- 
ister of  the  Household,  and  some  others  entered  the 
empty  Ibge,  to  which  all  eyes  had  been  directed  for  some 
time,  and  some  orders  were  given  to  an  Arabian  attend- 
ant about  the  arrangement  of  the  chairs. 

This  Arab  was  as  black  as  ink.  He  wore  a  red  and 
white  turban ;  a  short  black  jacket,  trimmed  with  gold  ; 
a  scarlet  sash,  and  full  red  trousers.  The  whole  audi- 
ence breathlessly  watched  him  as  he  arranged  the  chairs. 
The  orchestra  turned,  and  faced  the  imperial  box ;  and 
so  did  every  one  else.  The  leader  stood  with  his  baton 
uplifted,  ready  to  give  the  signal. 

There  were  a  few  moments  of  deathly  stillness  ;  then, 
at  a  sign  from  the  great  box,  the  leader's  baton  fell. 
Every  soul  in  the  house  rose,  the  Russian  Hymn  burst 
forth,  and  cheers  rent  the  air  as  the  Emperor  came  in 
with  the  bride.  These  cheers  were  prolonged,  and  re- 
peated when  the  Tsarevitch  made  his  appearance. 

I  think  that  was  the  most  impressive  moment  of  my 
life.  I  was  one  cold  chill  from  head  to  foot.  The  peo- 
ple shouted,  the  Tsar  bowed,  and  the  hymn  and  cheers 
were  continued. 

This  sovereign's  face  is  to  me  inexpressibly  sad  and 


MARIE   TALKS.  197 

touching, — as  if  he  bore  the  sins  and  griefs  of  his  people 
all  on  his  heart,  and  was  lifted  so  far  above  human  sym- 
pathy that  no  one  but  his  God  had  power  to  comfort  him. 
If  I  ever  had  the  desire  to  be  an  emperor,  one  look  at 
Alexander  Second  would  have  been  sufficient  to  rid  me 
of  it.  He  looks  as  though  he  had  never  known  what  it  is 
to  be  happy ;  as  though  he  had  felt  from  babyhood  every 
whit  of  the  responsibility  which  weighs  upon  monarchs. 
I  feel  a  deep  reverence  for  this  man,  who  has  freed  his 
people  from  slavery,  and  many  Christians  from  persecu- 
tion, and  who  now  is  blamed  by  the  world  because  he 
does  not  think  it  best  to  do  more.  I  like  to  think,  though, 
that  his  liberated  serfs  love  him,  and  that  posterity  will 
do  him  justice. 

Here  I  have  left  the  Emperor  standing  all  this  time, 
while  I  have  been  wandering  in  political  fields. 

The  German  Hymn  followed  the  Russian.  I  was 
rather  bewildered  by  it;  for  I  thought  it  was  "God  save 
the  Queen,"  and  wondered  what  propriety  there  was  in 
playing  it  on  this  occasion. 

The  music  ceased,  and  the  cheers  burst  forth  again, 
louder  and  fuller  than  ever.  The  bride  and  groom  were 
in  the  centre  of  the  box;  on  her  right  was  the  Emperor, 
dressed  in  Cossack  uniform,  —  a  long,  scarlet  coat, 
plsfited  in  at  the  waist,  with  silver  trimmings.  The 
Tsarevitch  wore  the  same  kind  of  uniform. 

The  bride  wore  the  ribbon  indicating  the  order  of  St. 
Catherine.  The  ladies  of  the  imperial  family  exhibited 
magnificent  diadems  and  necklaces.  The  Grand  Duch- 
ess Constantine's  necklace  covered  her  from  throat  to 


198  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

waist,  and  was  composed  of  the  most  magnificent  em- 
eralds I  ever  saw.  The  blaze  and  glitter  which  filled 
the  imperial  box  was  something  like  what  I  used  to  read 
about  in  the  fairy  tales.  The  rest  of  the  house,  which 
had  seemed  magnificent  a  moment  before,  now  looked 
quite  plain  in  comparison. 

I  seem  to  deal  in  superlatives,  but  even  with  their  aid 
I  do  scant  justice  to  the  scene.  I  was  gazing  in  open 
wonder  and  admiration,  actually  dazed  by  the  magnifi- 
cence, when  the  familiar  music  of  Faust  broke  upon  my 
ear,  and  I  turned  to  see  Albani  in  the  third  act  of  that 
opera. 

Sacha  smiled  upon  us  from  a  distance,  and  made  his 
way  slowly  towards  us.  George  had  entered  the  box 
some  time  before,  and,  having  bowed  to  us,  leaned 
back  against  the  wall  and  surveyed  the  house  through 
his  glass.  It  seemed  to  me  that. my  interview  with  him 
must  have  been  a  dream.  There  was  not  a  shadow  of 
embarrassment  is  his  manner,  not  a  trace  of  conscious- 
ness. 

While  he  still  stood  there,  Sacha  came  in.  I  bowed 
very  coldly,  and  turned  my  back  on  him.  When  he  had 
gone  away,  Alice  asked  me,  laughing,  — 

"  Why  did  you  snub  the  poor  fellow  like  that  ? " 

"  Because  I  don't  like  him.     I  despise  him." 

"  I  would  not,"  said  George's  voice  behind  me,  most 
unexpectedly.  "  He  is  not  worth  it." 

"  Perhaps  not,"  I  responded,  in  some  excitement  ; 
"but  I  cannot  look  upon  people  in  that  indifferent 
way." 


MARIE   TALKE.  199 


George  said  no  more,  and  I  gave  my  attention  to  the 
music.  Massini  sang  poorly;  so  did  Albani.  There 
was  no  applause,  etiquette  forbidding. 

A  few  opera-glasses  were  levelled  at  the  imperial 
box,  but  few  were  bold  enough  to  commit  such  a  fla- 
grant breach  of  etiquette.  I  must  confess  that  I  took  a 
few  surreptitious  glances  from  the  back  of  our  loge. 

When  the  curtain  went  down,  the  imperial  party 
retired  to  a  drawing-room.  Tea,  ices,  and  cakes  were 
served  to  the  guests  by  servants  in  the  imperial  livery. 
In  the  foyer,  tables  were  spread  with  various  costly  dishes 
and  wines,  and  ornamented  with  plants  and  flowers. 
The  walls  of  the  room  were  lined  with  evergreen  trees. 

Having  taken  a  look  at  this  with  the  ambassador,  I 
returned  to  my  place,  but  there  were  so  many  gentle- 
men gathered  about  that  I  proposed  to  my  companion 
to  return  to  the  foyer.  He  acceded  to  my  request  with 
apparent  eagerness. 

I  really  felt  wretchedly  ill,  and  the  draughts  set  me  to 
shivering.  I  could  hardly  keep  my  teeth  from  chatter- 
ing, and  was  thankful  that  the  ambassador  talked  on 
without  noticing  the  state  I  was  in. 

After  a  time  George  passed  me.  He  stopped  short, 
and  looked  at  me  piercingly. 

"You  are  ill!"  he  exclaimed.  "What  is  the  mat- 
ter ? " 

"Only  a  cold  which  I  have  had  for  two  or  three 
days." 

"  Come  with  me,"  he  said  authoritatively. 

I  hesitated,  and  looked  at  the  ambassador,  who  had 


200  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

been  buttonholed  by  another  diplomatic  gentleman,  and 
was  talking  earnestly. 

George,  with  a  gesture  of  impatience,  took  my  hand, 
put  it  inside  his  arm,  and  walked  me  off  to  a  sheltered 
nook,  where  he  made  me  sit  down.  Then  he  brought 
me  a  tiny  glass  of  dark-colored  liquid. 

I  shook  my  head.     "  I  can't  drink  brandy." 

He  frowned.  "Really  you  must  drink  it,  Miss 
Romilly,"  he  said  persuasively. 

I  took  it  and  drained  the  glass.  The  warmth  it  im- 
parted to  my  chilled  body  was  most  welcome.  It  crept 
over  me  from  head  to  foot  in  a  comforting  way. 

George  stood  and  watched  me  for  a  few  minutes, 
then  smiled  a  little,  saying, — 

"  You  look  a  trifle  less  blue  than  you  did.  I  mean, 
blue  in  color." 

"  Tom  told  me,"  said  I,  in  an  aggrieved  tone,  "  that  I 
looked  very  well  at  a  distance." 

"  So  you  do,"  said  Count  Piloff,  still  smiling ;  "  but 
I  was  quite  near  you,  and  I  never  saw  any  one  look 
so  ill." 

A  group  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  came  walking  past 
us,  and,  stopping  near  by,  continued  a  conversation 
which  they  had  been  holding  in  French. 

"  It  was  all  a  misunderstanding,  you  know,"  said  one 
of  the  ladies  to  an  older  one. 

I  had  stopped  talking  to  observe  the  group,  as  one 
will  do  in  such  places,  and  was  still  looking  at  them 
with  a  sort  of  idle  curiosity. 

"  Oh  no,  I  assure  you !  "  cried  the  other.     "  He  be- 


MARIE   TALKE  2OI 

haved  in  the  most  dishonorable  way,  and  she  married 
Prince  Simonieff  out  of  spite." 

I  looked  at  George  with  amusement,  wondering  what 
piece  of  scandal  I  was  about  to  hear.  To  my  surprise 
he  did  not  return  my  glance.  There  came  a  sudden 
red  flame  over  his  face,  which  passed  away  and  left 
him  pallid.  With  bent  head  and  downcast  eyes  he  sat 
there  in  silence,  so  absorbed  that  he  was  apparently 
unconscious  of  my  presence. 

I  listened  with  vague  curiosity  for  the  next  words 
which  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  lady  in  front.  It  was 
the  younger  one  who  spoke  :  — 

"  I  heard  that  he  came  to  the  house  one  night  in  a 
beastly  state  of  intoxication,  and  that  the  engagement 
was  broken  the  next  morning." 

"  True,  and  not  true,"  responded  the  other.  "  He 
went  there  when  he  had  been  drinking,  and  he  told  her 
some  plain  truths, — what  they  were  you  can  imagine; 
Marie's  life  is  public  property  now.  He  ended  by  say- 
ing that  nothing  would  induce  him  to  marry  her,  since 
he  had  discovered  how  false  she  was  to  him  as  well  as 
to  her  other  lovers ;  that  it  was  only  because  she  had 
declared  her  intention  of  dying  if  he  did  not  marry  her 
th#t  he  had  become  engaged  to  her ;  and  after  that 
night  he  considered  himself  bound  to  her  no  longer. 
The  next  day  her  brother  insulted  him  in  the  club. 
There  were  some  words,  but  the  matter  was  hushed  up, 
and  all  that  society  heard  afterwards  was  that  Marie 
Talke  married  Prince  Simonieff  and  became  one  of  the 
fastest  women  ever  received  at  respectable  houses ; 


202  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

and  that  Sacha  Talke  was  killed  in  a  mysterious  duel 
abroad.  But  I  happen  to  know  that  it  was  Count  Piloff 
who  killed  him." 

I  looked  at  my  companion,  expecting  to  see  him  rise 
in  anger  and  tell  this  woman  that  her  statement  was 
false.  He  sat  still,  showing  no  emotion  except  in  the 
deathly  paleness  of  his  face,  and  a  strange  glitter  in  his 
eyes,  which  were  fixed  upon  mine. 

The  group  walked  on.     I  spoke  almost  fiercely,  — 

"  Have  n't  you  enough  courage  to  tell  that  person 
what  you  think  of  her  ?  Are  you  afraid  of  a  woman  ?  " 

The  half  scornful  smile  on  his  lips  gave  place  to  one 
so  gentle,  the  hard  gleam  in  his  eyes  softened  to  such  a 
tender  look,  that  I  hardly  knew  him.  He  said  in  a  low 
voice,  — 

"  Is  it  possible  that  you  do  not  believe  it  ?  " 

"  Believe  it  ?  "  I  repeated.  "  Do  you  suppose  I  think 
so  badly  of  you  as  that  ?  " 

He  sighed,  and  his  eyes  dropped. 

"  After  all,"  he  said  slowly,  "  what  difference  does  it 
make  whether  you  feel  a  shade  or  two  more  or  less  of 
contempt  for  me  ? " 

He  reflected  for  a  moment,  and  then  looked  at  me. 

"  I  should  be  a  sorry  rascal  if  all  that  she  said  were 
true;  yet,"  with  a  sudden  tightening  of  the  breath, 
though  his  eyes  never  flinched  from  their  steady  gaze, 
"  some  of  it  is  true." 

Seeing  that  he  waited  for  me,  I  responded  calmly, 
"That  does  not  surprise  me.  There  is  generally  a 
foundation  of  truth  in  these  stories.  How  much  of 
this  is  true  ?  " 


MARIE    TALKE.  203 


"I  will  tell  you  some  time,  but  not  now;  for  the  ballet 
has  begun,  and  you  must  return  to  the  box." 

His  manner  had  suddenly  become  cold  and  formal, 
and  so  it  remained  until  we  bade  each  other  good-night 
at  the  door  of  the  theatre. 

Between  my  troublesome  thoughts  and  my  still  more 
troublesome  cold,  I  rested  ill  that  night.  George  was 
surprised  that  I  did  not  believe  that  story  about  him. 
He  must  think  that  I  hate  and  despise  him,  to  believe 
such  a  tale  as  that.  There  was  a  throb  of  indignation 
in  my  heart  when  that  stranger  so  indifferently  spoke  the 
words  which  maligned  his  character,  and  I  felt  inclined 
to  remonstrate  with  her  myself  when  I  saw  that  George 
continued  silent. 

It  is  strange  how  my  feelings  have  changed  towards 
him.  If  he  were  not  in  love  with  me,  perhaps  I  should 
still  think  him  conceited  and  insincere  ;  but  it  is  aston- 
ishing how  that  one  fact  changes  everything.  I  don't 
know  whether  it  is  vanity  or  some  other  trait,  lurking  in 
the  shadowy  part  of  my  character,  which  makes  me  think 
favorably  of  any  one  who  likes  me.  Certainly,  I  have 
a  decided  preference  for  people  who  exhibit  that  good 
tasj;e. 

Tuesday. 
This  letter  was  brought  to  me  yesterday  afternoon:  — 

MY  DEAR  Miss  ROMILLY,  —  I  promised  to  tell  you 
some  time  my  version  of  the  story  which  you  overheard 
last  night.  I  am  sure  I  shall  find  it  impossible  to  relate 


204  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

it  to  you,  and  I  should  make  myself  tiresome  by  the 
length  of  time  I  should  consume:  so  I  am  going  to  write 
it  down,  in  order  that  you  may  read  it  at  your  leisure, 
and  leave  off  when  you  like  ;  or,  if  it  bores  you,  put  it 
away  unread  until  your  memory  of  me  grows  so  dim 
that  all  the  disagreeable  part  of  our  acquaintance  has 
faded,  and  you  take  up  my  letter  to  bring  back  the  ghost 
of  this  short  winter,  which  is  fast  drawing  to  an  end. 

First,  I  would  thank  you  —  and  you  little  know  how 
sincerely  I  say  it  —  for  showing  me  this  evening  that 
you  are  not  so  utterly  devoid  of  confidence  in  me  as  I 
had  supposed.  It  is  a  bitter  thing  for  a  man  to  feel 
that  the  woman  who,  in  a  quiet,  most  unobtrusive  way, 
without  knowledge  of  her  own,  has  crept  into  his  heart, 
and  filled  it  so  completely  that  nothing  will  ever  take 
her  place,  —  it  is  a  bitter  thing  for  this  man  to  know  that 
the  woman  feels  nothing  but  contempt  for  him.  You 
showed  me  last  night  that  you  had  learned  to  trust  me 
somewhat.  It  will  be  my  own  fault  if  I  ever  sink  back 
to  my  old  level  in  your  esteem.  If  this  new  trust  in  me 
should  not  be  sufficient  to  convince  you  of  the  truth  of 
all  that  is  contained  in  this  letter,  you  have  only  to  refer 
to  Nicolas,  in  whom,  I  am  aware,  you  have  implicit  faith. 

Do  you  know  that  I  am  thirty-seven  years  old  ? 
Think  what  a  mere  boy  I  was  fifteen  years  ago  !  It  was 
then  that  this  episode  occurred.  I  confess  frankly  that 
I  was  a  wild  fellow,  and  my  father  had  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  with  me. 

We  came  home  from  America,  where  all  my  boyhood 
had  been  passed,  and  where  I  had  indulged  in  an  infi- 


MARIE   TALKE.  205 

rnte  number  of  flirtations,  and  had  run  so  into  debt  that 
my  father  was  glad  to  start  me  in  a  new  country.  But 
the  change  was  not  an  improvement.  I  ran  through  a 
year's  allowance  in  a  few  months,  and  brought  in  a  har- 
vest of  debts.  Launched  forth  into  Russian  society  at 
twenty-one,  petted  because  I  was  new  and  wealthy  and 
well-born,  what  wonder  that  I  got  into  all  sorts  of  mis- 
chief ? 

I  was  dazzled  at  first  by  the  brilliancy  about  me,  but  I 
soon  began  to  regret  America ;  moments  of  terrible  de- 
pression and  homesickness  came  upon  me.  I  felt  like  a 
man  without  a  country,  —  a  stranger  in  my  own  land,  yet 
obliged  to  reside  there.  I  begged  my  father  to  allow  me  to 
go  back  ;  but  he  was  inflexible.  I  must  have  a  "career" 
in  my  native  country,  among  my  own  people ;  and  a 
career  was  accordingly  looked  up  for  me, —  an  appoint- 
ment in  a  foreign  office. 

Perhaps  I  weary  you  with  details.  I  will  not  dwell  on 
these  trifles. 

Soon  after  my  appointment,  and  while  I  was  still 
suffering  with  homesickness,  I  met  a  woman  who  became 
the  strongest  influence  which  my  life  had  yet  expe- 
rienced. Her  name  was  Marie,  Countess  Talke.  She 
was  seven  years  my  senior,  and  a  widow.  She  took 
me  under  her  patronage  and  protection ;  and  as  she  was 
one  of  the  most  popular  women  in  the  fast  set  which  I 
affected,  I  was  proud  of  her  preference. 

Every  day  I  was  expected  to  call  upon  her,  every 
evening  to  meet  her  at  some  ball  or  party,  and  to  sup 
with  her  at  some  house  afterwards.  There  was  an  old 


206  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

officer  of  the  Guards,  who  had  been  her  favorite  befor? 
my  arrival.  He  used  to  shake  his  head  at  me,  and 
laugh  in  a  cynical  way,  and  say  he  pitied  me;  that 
Marie  was  "  an  exacting  little  devil." 

Her  exactions,  however,  flattered  me.  You  must  re- 
member that  I  was  very  young.  I  do  not  pretend  that 
I  had  no  fondness  for  her :  I  was  very  fond  of  her.  I 
thought  we  were  true  friends,  and  I  laughed  at  those 
who  suggested  that  Countess  Talke  might  be  induced 
to  marry  again ;  for,  I  said,  she  looked  upon  me  as  a 
younger  brother.  I  must  have  been  very  young !  But  I 
soon  lost  my  youth  under  her  tutelage :  she  taught  me  to 
distrust  every  human  being  whom  I  met. 

A  pure-hearted  woman  like  yourself  can  no  more  un- 
derstand the  immense  influence  which  Marie  Talke  and 
those  of  her  stamp  wield  over  a  young,  impressionable 
man  than  you  can  realize  the  vividness  with  which  every 
sin  of  my  life  stands  before  me  when  I  am  with  you, 
until  I  feel  that  I  merit  all  your  contempt,  and  am  not 
fit  to  be  in  your  presence.  I  thank  Heaven  that  you 
cannot  understand  it. 

This  flirtation,  as  we  should  call  it  in  America,  went 
on  for  nearly  two  seasons.  Then  I  learned,  by  acci- 
dent as  I  supposed,  how  Marie  felt  towards  me,  —  that 
she  would  die  of  grief  if  I  did  not  marry  her.  I,  poor 
fool,  believed  it.  As  an  act  of  great  magnanimity,  and 
also  because  I  was  fond  of  her  in  a  certain  way,  I 
consented  to  marry  her.  Kind,  was  I  not?  Then, 
indeed,  I  was  conceited  ! 

The  wedding  day  was  set,  and  Marie's  brother,  her 


MARIE   TALKS.  2O/ 


only  near  relative,  came  to  Petersburg,  to  be  present 
on  the  great  occasion.  He  was  a  coarse  fellow,  and 
almost  the  first  thing  he  did  after  we  had  been  made 
acquainted  with  each  other  was  to  borrow  a  thousand 
roubles  of  me.  I  drew  my  own  conclusions  as  to  the 
kind  of  man  he  was,  from  that. 

Two  days  before  that  set  for  the  wedding,  Nicolas 
came  to  me  with  a  story  which  sent  a  thrill  of  horror 
through  me.  He  had  been  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
match,  but,  like  my  father,  had  resigned  himself  to  what 
he  supposed  to  be  the  inevitable.  I  refused  to  believe 
what  he  told  me,  and  he  gave  me  proofs  which  I  could 
not  doubt. 

Marie  had  been  engaged  to  two  other  men  at  the 
time  she  promised  to  marry  me.  One  of  them,  a  fellow 
nearly  as  young  as  I,  who  was  desperately  in  love 
with  her,  had  blown  his  brains  out  when  he  found  out 
her  falsehood.  The  other  consented  to  her  marriage 
with  me,  but  continued  his  visits  to  her,  and  furnished 
all  the  money  for  her  trousseau  ! 

This  was  overwhelming,  and  I  leave  you  to  imagine 
its  effect  upon  my  mind.  I  went  to  her  (not  under  the 
influence  of  liquor,  as  you  heard),  told  her  all  I  knew, 
and  she  had  the  audacity  to  deny  it !  Any  lingering 
feeling  of  tenderness  was  killed  by  this,  and  I  confronted 
her  with  proofs  of  her  own  guilt.  I  will  not  weary  you 
with  an  account  of  what  followed.  Marie's  brother  un- 
dertook to  make  some  trouble,  but  he  could  not  change 
the  facts,  and  he  soon  went  away  to  his  home  in 
Austria. 


208  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

It  was  a  terrible  awakening,  and  to  this  day  I  feel 
sorry  for  myself,  as  I  look  back,  and  see  how  utterly  adrift 
I  was  for  a  time.  This  analysis  of  my  feelings  can  have 
little  interest  for  you,  however,  and  I  feel  inclined  to 
apologize  for  writing  anything  besides  the  bare  facts. 

Marie  married  Prince  Simonieff  a  year  or  two  after, 
and  now  lives  in  Paris.  Her  brother  was  killed  in  a 
duel,  I  believe,  but  not  by  me.  This  is  all ;  and  it  is 
not  such  a  horrible  story  as  those  ladies  made  it,  is  it  ? 
It  had  its  influence  in  making  me  what  I  am ;  and  if 
you  knew  my  whole  life  as  you  now  do  this  episode,  I 
think  you  would  throw  the  kind  mantle  of  charity  over 
some  of  my  faults.  I  wonder  if  you  will  ever  have 
patience  to  read  as  far  as  this  ? 

G.  P. 

I  read  this  letter  to  the  end,  and  then  it  dropped  into 
my  lap,  while  I  clasped  my  hands  behind  my  head  and 
tried  to  picture  Countess  Talke  to  myself.  The  only 
part  of  George's  story  in  which  I  did  not  place  implicit 
confidence  was  his  assertion  that  he  was  not  in  love 
with  that  woman.  Undoubtedly  he  thought  so  now,  as 
he  looked  back,  but  he  must  have  been  desperately  in 
love  at  the  time,  —  much  more  so  than  he  is  with  me. 

There  is  one  strange  thing  about  George :  he  has 
never  given  me  one  word  of  praise,  except  in  this  letter, 
where  he  calls  me  pure-hearted,  —  and  surely  he  could 
hardly  say  less  than  that.  When  he  has  spoken  to  me 
of  myself,  it  has  always  been  to  blame  me.  There  is 
the  door-bell.  Who  can  it  be  ? 


MARIE    TALKE.  2OQ 


Evening. 

It  was  George  who  came  this  afternoon. 

"  Oh,"  I  cried,  "  I  am  alone  again,  except  Tom,  who 
is  taking  a  Russian  lesson  in  there,"  indicating  the 
library. 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  prudent  enough  to  stay  in  the 
house  until  you  get  better  of  your  cold." 

"  I  am  saving  myself  for  the  next  court  ball,"  I 
responded  confidentially. 

Count  Piloff  seated  himself  on  a  little  causeuse,  and 
I  placed  myself  by  his  side.  He  looked  startled  for  a 
second,  but  I  paid  no  attention.  I  was  determined  to 
make  myself  agreeable,  and  to  show  that  my  dislike  for 
him  had  vanished. 

"  I  have  just  read  your  letter,"  I  began. 

He  smiled  somewhat  uneasily  as  he  said,  "  Are  you 
quite  sure  that  you  read  to  the  end  ? " 

"  Quite,  and  I  —  I  was  going  to  say  that  I  en- 
joyed it  very  much,  but  I  checked  myself  in  time,  —  "I 
am  very  glad  you  wrote  it." 

"  You  are  kind,"  he  said  formally. 

"  lavish  to  correct  an  impression  which  you  seem  to 
have,"  I  went  on  courageously.  "  You  have  mentioned 
it  several  times,  and  you  are  quite  mistaken  about  it " 
(getting  a  trifle  incoherent  in  my  words,  but  clinging  to 
my  idea).  "  I  do  not  dislike  or  despise  you,  Count 
Piloff.  I  acknowledge  that  I  used  to  do  so,  and  I  tried 
to  prejudice  Judith  against  you.  But  I  don't  dislike 
you  at  all  now,  and  I  think  in  time  "  (looking  at  him  for 
encouragement,  but  meeting  only  a  view  of  one  brown 

14 


210  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

cheek)  "  I  think  if  I  stay  long  enough  we  may  become 
very  good  friends." 

He  did  not  reply,  and  still  kept  his  face  turned  away ; 
so,  after  a  brief  pause,  I  continued,  "  Real  friends,  you 
know,  such  as  Tom  and  I  are." 

With  a  movement  which  was  so  sudden  that  it  made 
me  jump,  he  started  up,  looked  at  me  with  an  ugly 
frown,  and  muttered  in  a  voice  of  suppressed  rage,  — 

"  I  will  not  be  your  friend  !  " 

Biting  his  mustache  savagely,  he  surveyed  my  small 
figure,  while  I  shrank  as  far  back  into  the  corner  of  the 
causeuse  as  possible. 

"  I  will  either  be,"  he  went  on  presently,  "  all  or  noth- 
ing. Friend ! "  with  a  contemptuous  laugh,  darting 
another  fierce  glance  at  me.  "  I  would  rather  you 
would  hate  me  than  to  be  my  friend !  What  satisfac- 
tion would  the  sort  of  friendship  which  you  give  Tom 
be  to  me  ?  " 

Another  short,  bitter  laugh  finished  this  speech,  and 
he  turned  impatiently  away  from  me. 

By  this  time  my  natural  spirit,  which  had  been  some- 
what dashed  by  his  reception  of  what  was  meant  to  be 
an  extremely  conciliatory  remark,  asserted  itself,  and  I 
spoke  up  promptly,  with  a  flaming  face,  — 

"  Very  well.  Of  course  I  can  hate  you  if  you  prefer 
it,  and  I  shall  find  it  easy  to  do  so  if  you  repeat  this 
often.  You  have  talked  so  much  about  my  having 
more  confidence  in  you,  and  have  made  so  many  sar- 
castic remarks  about  my  dislike  for  you,  that  I  naturally 
supposed  you  wished  to  change  it  all.  If  I  am  mis- 


MARIE    TALKE.  211 


taken  —  and  I  see  I  am,  —  I  will  —  yes,  I  will  —  " 
Here  I  became  involved,  and  forgot  how  I  was  intend- 
ing to  finish,  so  I  wound  up  rather  feebly  —  "  do  as 
you  say." 

He  took  a  long,  lingering  look  at  my  angry  form.  I 
could  hardly  believe  my  own  eyes  when  I  saw  laughter  in 
his  !  Was  he  laughing  at  me  or  himself  ?  A  smile  quiv- 
ered on  his  lips,  and  there  was  hearty  amusement  in  the 
gray  eyes.  My  wrath  was  rapidly  cooling ;  but  I  strove 
to  retire  from  the  field  with  dignity. 

"  I  see  nothing  to  laugh  at,"  I  said,  in  a  superior 
manner. 

"Neither  do  I,"  he  responded,  "except  that  I  behave 
so  like  a  child,  and  you  are  so  easily  excited.  Now, 
most  women  would  have  been  flattered  at  what  I  said. 
You,  on  the  contrary,  became  a  small  virago,  for  the 
moment." 

"  I  am  not  like  most  women,  if  most  women  are  flat- 
tered to  have  their  proffered  friendship  thrust  back  so 
unceremoniously.  I  don't  understand  such  flattery,  and 
I  prefer  to  have  no  more  of  it." 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  said,  looking  down  on  me  in- 
tently, "  that  you  have  a  violent  temper,  Dorris  ?  " 

My  eyes  sought  his  with  a  questioning  look,  and  found 
there  such  an  expression  of  tenderness  that  they  fell  to 
the  carpet  again. 

"Yes  —  no,"  I  answered,  leaning  on  the  back  of  a 
chair  near  me ;  then,  with  a  flash  of  defiance,  taking  in 
for  the  first  time  the  full  sense  of  his  question,  "  I  think 
even  a  saint  would  be  angry  at  what  you  said.  Why 
do  you  call  me  Dorris  ?  "  (with  renewed  dignity.) 


212  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  If  you  are  going  to  be  my  friend,  of  course  I  must 
say  Dorris,"  he  returned,  leaning  on  the  other  side  of 
the  chair,  thus  preventing  me  from  tilting  it  back  and 
forth,  and  still  looking  as  if  he  wished  to  laugh. 

"I  will  not  be  your  friend,"  I  answered  sullenly. 
"You  said  you  did  not  wish  it ;  and  now  I  will  not." 

"  You  cannot  be  my  enemy,  for  you  have  told  me  that 
you  don't  dislike  me  ;  and  if  you  will  be  neither  friend 
nor  enemy,  there  is  only  one  thing  left  for  you  to  be, 
Dorris"  (pleadingly). 

Fortunately,  at  this  moment  my  common  sense  asserted 
itself.  I  gave  up  the  chair  for  support,  and  stood  up- 
right. 

"  True,"  I  said ;  "  and  that  one  thing  is  indifferent. 
You  are  talking  nonsense,  Count  Piloff." 

"  I  dare  say  I  am  "  (gravely)  ;  "  and  as  I  only  came  to 
see  how  your  cold  was,  I  will  stay  no  longer.  I  have 
talked  nonsense,  as  you  say.  Forget  it :  I  promise  never 
to  offend  again  "  ;  and  before  I  could  reply,  he  was  gone. 

I  did  not  think  he  would  leave  so  suddenly,  and  I 
would  have  liked  to  ask  him  a  few  questions ;  but  per- 
haps it  is  better  that  I  did  not. 


LE  BAL  DES  PALM1ERS.  213 


CHAPTER    XV. 

LE     BAL     DES     PALMIERS. 

February  18- 

ALICE  has  been  here,  has  followed  me  into  my  room, 
and  has  given  me  a  long  dissertation  on  the  in- 
convenience of  single  life.  It  seems  to  me  that  Alice  has 
grown  somewhat  worldly  wise,  and  perhaps  a  trifle  vain. 
She  appeared  to  be  quite  in  earnest,  as  she  set  forth  the 
advantages  of  marriage.  She  began  cautiously,  so  that 
I  did  not  know  what  she  was  leading  me  up  to,  until  I 
heard  myself  saying  that  I  would  not  marry  a  Russian, 
under  any  circumstances. 

"  Why  »ot  ?  "  she  asked,  with  a  little  pink  flush  on  her 
cheek. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  I  answered  feebly. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  not  blind,"  she  continued.  "You 
must  have  seen  that  there  is  a  certain  Russian  whose 
happiness  depends  on  you." 

"  What  a  hackneyed  expression  !  "  I  exclaimed,  trying 
to  laugh. 

Alice  began  to  examine  a  bracelet  which  lay  on  my 
dressing-table. 

"I  wish  you  would  tell  me,  Dorris,  why  you  keep 
George  hanging  about  you  in  this  way.  Every  one 


214  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

thinks  he  wishes  to  marry  Judith ;  but  I  know  my 
brother-in-law  better  than  any  of  them,  and  I  am  not 
deceived  "  (nodding  her  pretty  head  with  an  air  of 
superior  wisdom).  "  If  ever  I  have  seen  a  man  madly, 
wildly  in  love,  it  is  he.  This  is  all  the  more  remarkable, 
because  generally  he  is  so  cold  and  unmoved.  Nicolas 
says  it  is  nonsense,  —  that  George  cares  for  no  one, 
unless  it  is  Judith ;  but  all  the  same,  I  know  as  well  as 
if  he  had  told  me  !  " 

"  How  very  pleasant,"  I  said  musingly,  "  to  have  the 
family  so  interested  and  confidential  about  me  and  my 
affairs  !  Did  Nicolas  ask  George  if  he  was  in  love  with 
me  ? " 

Alice  put  on  her  most  persuasive  tone :  "  You  must 
not  be  angry  with  me  because  I  am  interested  in  what 
concerns  you.  Who  should  be,  my  dear,  if  not  your 
sister?  Although  we  have  been  separated  for  so  long,  I 
love  you  as  much  as  Grace  does." 

This  touched  me ;  and  I  responded,  with  a  smile,  "  I 
am  not  angry ;  but  neither  do  I  see  why  you  should 
think  George  cares  particularly  for  me.  There  is  surely 
nothing  in  his  manner  to  indicate  it." 

My  sister  shook  her  head :  "  I  believe  you  know  it 
as  well  as  I  do.  I  have  watched  him,  and  I  can  see 
how  a  new  light  comes  into  his  eyes  every  time  they  rest 
on  you,  — a  light  which  I  never  saw  there  before  in  my 
life.  I  have  noticed  how  he  watches  you  stealthily,  and 
how  black  his  face  is  when,  in  talking  with  other  men, 
you  look  up  at  them  in  a  confiding  way,  as  you  have  a 
habit  of  doing." 


LE  BAL  DES  PALMIERS.  215 

Here,  aghast  at  Alice's  words,  I  strove  to  interrupt; 
but  nothing  could  stop  the  flow  of  her  eloquence. 

"  And  then,  when  you  say  something  to  him  sud- 
denly, he  flushes  like  a  girl,  though  he  answers  in  as 
cool  and  measured  a  tone  as  usual,"  she  went  on  calmly. 
"  Your  sarcasm  hurts  him,  as  no  one  else  has  power  to 
do.  I  can  understand  George  perfectly.  What  I  do  not 
understand  is  you." 

She  stopped  at  last,  and  waited  for  me  to  speak. 

"  What  is  it  about  me  that  you  don't  comprehend  ?  "  I 
asked.  "I  should  have  said  that  I  was  much  more 
transparent  than  George;  and  you  seem  to  have  discov- 
ered the  most  wonderful  things  in  him.  Tell  me,  as 
you  have  been  such  a  close  observer,  what  you  have 
noticed  in  me,  and  perhaps  I  can  interpret  it  for 
you." 

"  Well,"  she  began  thoughtfully,  "  I  have  seen  gener- 
ally a  quiet  indifference.  But,"  she  continued,  with  her 
eyes  fixed  on  my  face,  while  a  reflective  look  took  pos- 
session of  her  own,  "  I  have  seen  something  else.  You 
have  been  petulant  sometimes,  which  one  never  is  to  a 
person  for  whom  one  feels  only  indifference.  Two 
or  three  times  I  have  noticed  a  look  of  real  pleasure 
which  came  into  your  eyes  when  George  made  his  ap- 
pearance unexpectedly.  One  moment  you  ignore  his 
presence,  and  the  next  you  look  at  and  speak  to  him  as 
if  he  were  the  only  person  in  the  world." 

"  Enough  !  "  I  exclaimed,  putting  out  my  hand  im- 
ploringly. "  You  make  me  out  a  perfect  coquette  !  " 

"  Almost,"  she  assented.  "  I  have  wondered,  once  or 
twice,  if  you  were." 


2l6  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,"  I  gasped,  "  that  I  have  really 
acted  in  the  way  you  describe  ?  " 

"It  is  certainly  true,  Dorris.  That  is  what  puzzles  me. 
I  could  not  make  up  my  mind  whether  you  cared  for  him 
or  not." 

"I  had  no  idea  that  I  behaved  like  that,"  I  murmured. 
"  How  very  foolish  I  must  have  seemed  !  " 

"No  one  else  noticed  it,"  said  Alice  consolingly; 
"except  George,"  she  added,  after  a  slight  pause. 

"  Did  he  notice  it  ?•"  I  cried,  turning  round  upon  her. 
"  Did  he  speak  to  you  of  it  ?  " 

"  No,  no  !  "  she  exclaimed  hastily.  "  How  you  jump 
at  conclusions  !  He  has  never  exchanged  a  word  with 
me  on  the  subject ;  but  I  judged,  by  his  manner  and 
expression,  that  he  noticed  all  these  little  things.  It 
was  in  studying  their  effect  upon  him  that  I  learned  his 
secret." 

"Dear,  dear!"  I  sighed.  "What  an  Argus  eye  has 
been  upon  us  all  this  time,  while  we  were  blissfully  un- 
conscious, —  thinking  that  our  secrets  were  locked  in  our 
own  breasts !  " 

We  both  laughed,  and  I  went  on  in  a  brisk  tone  : 
"  Really,  Alice,  you  are  all  wrong.  George  is  probably 
in  love  with  any  one  rather  than  myself ;  and  I  am  not 
in  the  least  inclined  to  marry  him,  even  if  he  should  ask 
me,  —  which,  I  can  assure  you,  he  has  never  done,  nor 
do  I  believe  he  has  any  intention  of  it.  If  your  suspi- 
cions had  been  in  another  direction,"  I  added  carelessly, 
"  they  would  have  been  more  correct." 

Alice  took  me  up  eagerly  :  "  Chilton  Thurber,  you 


LE  BAL  DES  PALM1ERS.  21 7 

mean  ?  Any  one  could  see  that  he  was  devoted  to  you ; 
but  I  never  thought  you  returned  his  affection.  Do  you 
mean  that  you  are  fond  of  him  ?  " 

"Well,"  I  said  meditatively,  "I  don't  know  that  I  can 
go  so  far  as  to  say  that.  No,"  I  continued  slowly,  "  I 
am  not  desperately  in  love  with  him ;  but  I  have  prom- 
ised to  think  about  him." 

My  sister's  face  fell. 

"  I  am  so  disappointed  !  "  she  said  dolefully. 

«  Why  ? " 

"  Because  I  thought  it  would  be  so  pleasant  for  you 
to  marry  George  and  live  near  me.  And  I  am  sorry  for 
him,  too  ;  for,  whatever  you  may  say,  I  know  he  is  in 
love  with  you.  It  will  kill  him,  I  know  it  will ! "  she 
continued  tragically. 

I  laughed.     "You  are  not  serious,  Alice." 

"Indeed  I  am.     If  you  marry  Chilton  Thurber  —  " 

"  Hush !  not  so  loud.  You  must  not  repeat  what  I 
have  told  you  to  a  living  soul.  And,  to  confess  the 
truth"  (confidentially),  "I  don't  much  think  I  shall 
marry  him." 

Alice  shook  her  head  mournfully.  "  You  don't  care 
for  George  as  I  hoped  you  did,  if  you  could  make  Mr. 
Thurber  any  sort  of  promise  to  think  about  him." 

I  looked  rather  uneasily  at  my  companion  as  I  said 
ruefully,  "  I  seem  to  be  somewhat  involved  in  my  love 
affairs,  but  I  hope  to  come  safely  through." 

"  I  hope  you  will." 

She  looked  at  my  clock.  "  Half  an  hour  late  for 
Nicolas  !  Goocl-by,  my  dear.  A  ce  soir."  And  she 


218  THE   TSARS    WINDOW. 

hurried  away,  leaving  me  to  comfort  myself  as  best  I 
might.  I  have  found  very  little  consolation  so  far  ;  but 
I  really  think  Alice  exaggerates,  and  I  must  turn  my 
attention  to  my  toilet  for  this  evening. 

I  appeared  in  a  wonderful  combination  of  satin  and 
gauze  last  night,  and  felt  quite  proud  of  myself  as  I  took 
one  last  lingering  look  at  my  reflection  in  the  long 
glass. 

"  There  is  something  about  that  pinkish  ashes-of- 
roses  color,"  said  Tom,  with  the  air  of  one  who  knows 
what  he  is  talking  about,  "  that  suits  you  to  a  T." 

"  Oh,  you  poor  goose  !  "  laughed  Grace.  "  That  is 
cream  color,  not  ashes-of-roses." 

"  Well,  whatever  you  call  it,  it  is  mighty  becoming." 

"  Yes,"  I  responded  with  some  vanity,  "  it  really  is." 

"  If  you  stand  there  looking  at  yourself  much  longer," 
cried  Tom,  "  Alice  will  not  wait  for  you." 

"  Come,  Judith,"  I  said  with  dignity  ;  and  together  we 
descended  the  stairs  and  entered  the  carriage,  which 
was  waiting  for  us. 

There  was  another  carriage  standing  at  the  door,  and 
Alice  put  her  head  out  of  the  window  and  charged  us  to 
wear  our  thickest  wraps.  "  It  is  bitterly  cold,"  she  added. 

Enveloped  in  our  furs,  we  did  not  feel  it.  In  front  of 
the  palace  a  huge  fire  was  burning  merrily  ;  there  was 
an  iron  railing  about  it,  and  here  a  crowd  of  coachmen 
were  huddled  together,  taking  advantage  of  the  warmth 
provided  for  them. 

I  felt  strangely  excited,  and  my  cheeks  glowed  as  if 


LE  BAL  DES  PALMIERS.  219 

there  were  coals  of  fire  on  them.  We  soon  reached  the 
ball-room,  where  an  aristocratic  crowd  was  awaiting  the 
entrance  of  the  Emperor,  and  we  had  a  chance  to  exer- 
cise our  patience  for  some  time. 

"  Have  you  seen  the  King  of  Adrianople  ?  "  Nicolas 
asked  me. 

"  Whom  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  That  young  fellow  who  is  talking  with  Madame 
Kirovieff,"  he  returned.  "  That  is  he." 

"  But  why  do  you  call  him  the  King  of  Adrianople  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  name  he  got  in  the  army.  Have  you  not 
heard  the  story  ?  " 

I  confessed  my  ignorance,  and  Nicolas  related  the 
following  anecdote :  — 

"  Last  year,  when  General  Gourko's  army  was  lying 
about  Adrianople,  after  the  tedious  passage  of  the 
Balkans,  there  wts  a  certain  officer,  not  above  the  rank 
of  a  captain,  who  demanded  permission  of  his  com- 
mander to  enter  Adrianople  with  his  company.  The 
Turks  were  about  to  evacuate  the  city,  and  the  Rus- 
sians intended  to  enter  the  next  morning ;  but  this 
gentleman  said  he  was  tired  of  sleeping  out  in  the  wet, 
and  he  wished  to  go  into  the  town,  get  a  good  supper, 
and  make  himself  comfortable  for  the  night.  The 
desired  permission  was  given  in  a  half-contemptuous 
way,  and  many  were  the  laughs  raised  at  the  expense  of 
the  young  officer,  who  expected  to  drive  away  eight  or 
ten  thousand  Turks  with  only  one  hundred  men. 

"Just  after  nightfall  the  last  detachment  of  the  Turk- 
ish army  was  at  the  railway  station,  making  preparations 


220  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

to  embark  on  a  train  which  was  going  to  Constantinople. 
Two  or  three  pachas  and  several  officers  were  taking 
a  hot  supper  in  the  restaurant  at  the  station,  refreshing 
themselves  for  their  journey.  Confusion  reigned,  each 
individual  looking  after  his  own  effects,  when  there  came 
a  tremendous  rattle  ot  musketry-fire  on  all  sides,  with 
hoots  and  yells  as  from  thousands  of  throats. 

"  Supposing  the  whole  Russian  army  was  upon  them, 
the  frightened  pachas  hurried  the  troops  into  the  train, 
and  started  off  at  full  speed  of  steam  ;  and  the  gallant 
Russian  not  only  slept  comfortably  in  the  railway  sta- 
tion that  night,  but  devoured  the  pachas'  hot  supper  and 
took  possession  of  the  small  pieces  of  baggage  which 
they,  in  their  haste,  had  forgotten." 

By  the  time  this  story  was  ended  the  handle  of  the 
door  behind  us  rattled  significantly ;  we  withdrew  to  a 
respectful  distance,  it  opened,  and  the  Emperor  made 
his  appearance,  followed  by  his  family.  This  was  a  sig- 
nal for  the  dancing  to  begin,  and  my  partner  came  to 
claim  me  for  the  first  quadrille. 

There  was  such  a  crowd  that  we  could  not  dance 
comfortably.  Little  annoyances,  however,  were  nothing 
to  me.  I  felt,  for  some  unaccountable  reason,  wildly, 
absurdly  happy,  —  happier  than  I  have  ever  been  since 
J  left  home.  I  laughed,  talked,  danced,  and  enjoyed 
myself  to  the  utmost.  My  dress  was  becoming,  and 
every  one  was  pleasant ;  nothing  seemed  likely  to  occur 
to  mar  my  happiness,  as  Sacha  kept  away  from  me,  Mr. 
Cheremenieff  was  not  there,  George  looked  kindly  on 
me,  and  the  ambassador  was  always  at  my  elbow. 


LE  BAL   DES  PALMIERS.  221 

The  imperial  family  mingled  so  freely  with  the  guests 
that  it  was  impossible  not  to  turn  one's  back  upon  them 
sometimes.  Quite  an  excitement  was  created  at  one 
moment,  by  a  couple  who  were  waltzing  so  vigorously 
that  they  became  entangled  in  some  chairs,  and  fell 
down  with  a  tremendous  crash.  The  gentleman  broke 
three  chairs  in  his  descent,  and  the  lady  fortunately  fell 
on  top  of  her  partner.  The  Emperor  rushed  forward  to 
ascertain  the  extent  of  the  injury,  but  everything  was 
unharmed  except  the  chairs.  Another  audacious  couple 
waltzed  into  His  Imperial  Majesty  and  nearly  upset 
him.  They  retired,  covered  with  confusion. 

I  will  say  nothing  about  the  magnificent  toilets  of  the 
grand  duchesses,  although  I  could  write  pages  about 
them.  I  would  rath€r  think  of  how  pleasantly  George 
talked  with  me  in  the  few  minutes  we  had  together 
before  the  mazurka  began.  He  had  no  partner,  and 
asked  me  to  dance  it  with  him,  but  I  refused. 

"  I  would  like  to  dance  with  you,"  I  said,  "  but  I  have 
already  refused  two  people,  and  I  suppose  I  must  not 
change  my  mind." 

"  Then  you  will  allow  me  to  take  you  in  to  supper  ? " 
he  asked. 

"  Yes,  but  what  will  you  do  with  your  partner  ? " 

"  I  shall  not  dance,"  he  returned. 

"  If  you  have  any  idea  of  sitting  with  me  during  the 
mazurka,"  I  said,  laughing,  "you  must  give  it  up,  be- 
cause I  promised  the  ambassador  that  I  would  converse 
with  him  about  Rome  while  you  giddy  young  people  are 
dancing." 


222  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"I  suppose,  however,"  he  remarked,  with  a  quizzical 
expression,  "  that  you  will  not  insist  upon  my  joining 
the  giddy  young  people  unless  I  choose  ?  " 

"  I  should  never  think  of  insisting,  because  I  should 
not  expect  you  to  obey,  and  a  failure  would  be  humilia- 
ting." 

The  ambassador  came  up  at  this  moment.  "  Are  you 
talking  about  failures  ? " 

"  I  was  telling  Count  Piloff,"  I  responded,  "  that  my 
efforts  to  enjoy  myself  at  balls  were  generally  failures. 
No,  —  "I  broke  off  suddenly,  seeing  that  George  did 
not  approve  of  this,  and  thinking  myself  that  the  false- 
hood was  unnecessary,  —  "that  is  not  what  I  was  say- 
ing, but  it  was  nothing  of  consequence.  Do  you  know 
who  that  lady  is  in  the  amber-colored  dress  ? " 

George  left  me  as  my  companion  replied,  and  we 
began  comparing  notes  about  Rome,  which  interesting 
occupation  we  continued  until  the  doors  into  the  sup- 
per-room were  thrown  open. 

"  Oh !  "  I  cried,  clasping  George's  arm  and  starting 
forward.  "  From  the  heart  of  an  arctic  winter  we  are 
transported  to  the  tropics  !  " 

It  was  really  like  a  glimpse  into  a  southern  clime,  and 
I  could  not  realize  that  there  was  a  temperature  outside 
of  ten  degrees  below  zero.  We  looked  into  a  grove  of 
tall,  waving  palm-trees,  through  the  green  foliage  of 
which  a  softened  light  was  shed  from  thousands  of  wax 
candles  on  a  quantity  of  small  tables,  glittering  with 
glass  and  silver.  A  larger  table,  raised  slightly  above 
the  others,  was  set  with  gold  dishes  for  the  imperial 


LE  BAL  DBS  PALM1ERS.  22$ 

family.  The  walls  of  the  garden  —  or  room,  as  I  dis- 
covered it  afterwards  to  be  —  were  lined  with  orange, 
lemon,  and  magnolia  trees,  and  a  faint  tropical  perfume 
greeted  me  as  I  advanced  into  this  paradise. 

Servants  in  silk  stockings  and  gold-laced  coats  were 
moving  noiselessly  about. 

"  Are  we  expected  to  eat  amid  all  this  magnificence  ? " 
I  inquired. 

"  Certainly.  You  must  do  justice  to  a  hot  supper," 
responded  George. 

"  You  may,"  I  said,  as  I  took  my  seat  at  one  of  the 
small  tables,  the  centre  of  which  was  a  blooming  bed  of 
geraniums  and  heliotrope,  obscuring  my  opposite  neigh- 
bors, and  lending  a  dash  of  color  to  the  snowy  linen 
and  shining  silver.  "  I  shall  do  nothing  except  to  look 
about  me." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  altogether  cease  talking." 

"  I  have  been  reading  a  frightful  thing  lately  in  the 
newspapers,"  said  I,  shuddering,  "  and  I  don't  know 
why  the  remembrance  of  it  should  come  upon  me  here, 
in  the  midst  of  this  dream  of  the  Arabian  Nights,  for  it 
makes  me  sad,  which  is  extremely  inappropriate." 

"  I  know,"  returned  George ;  "  it  is  the  account  of 
that  fearful  plague  in  the  south  of  Russia." 

"  Yes,"  I  agreed,  growing  pale  and  solemn  as  a  recol- 
lection of  the  details  came  to  me.  "  How  horrible  to 
think  of  dying  in  twenty-four  hours !  "  I  could  not 
taste  my  bouillon,  but  sent  it  away  untouched. 

"Don't  think  of  it,"  said  my  companion  consolingly; 
"  it  can  do  no  good  to  ponder  over  it." 


224  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  But  what  a  contrast !  "  (looking  around  me). 

"  Not  more  striking  than  many  others  which  we  might 
see.  Life  is  made  up  of  them.  Every  possible  measure 
is  being  taken  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  scourge ;  it 
has  not  yet  gone  beyond  the  Volga.  Whole  villages  in 
which  the  disease  has  appeared  have  been  burned  to  the 
ground,  together  with  the  clothing  of  the  peasants,  for 
whom  new  homes  have  been  provided.  You  need  not 
be  apprehensive." 

"  It  is  not  that,"  I  returned,  recovering  my  spirits  and 
my  color  somewhat.  "  I  am  not  alarmed  for  myself, 
but  it  seems  such  a  frightful  curse." 

"  It  is,"  murmured  George.  "  Poor  Russia  has  had 
more  than  her  share  of  affliction.  Whatever  her  faults, 
she  has  been  heavily  punished  for  them." 

There  fell  upon  us  a  silence  which  I  was  loath  to 
break,  for  I  felt  strangely  subdued  and  quiet.  It  was 
George  who  spoke  first,  with  a  well-affected  air  of  in- 
difference, in  which  I  could  detect  a  thrill  of  meaning. 

"Alice  tells  me  some  strange  news." 

"  Indeed  !  Is  it  about  any  one  whom  I  know  ?  Will 
it  interest  me  ?  " 

"  It  should  interest  you,  for  it  is  about  yourself." 

I  darted  an  inquiring  look  at  him,  and  he  smiled 
calmly. 

"I  don't  know  why  Alice  told  me,"  he  continued, 
"  for  she  said  it  was  a  secret,  and  that,  if  I  betrayed  her 
confidence,  you  would  never  forgive  me." 

A  little  sharp  cry  escaped  me.  I  changed  it  into  a 
laugh,  but  it  sounded  hoarse  and  unnatural.  For  an 


LE  BAL   DBS  PALMIERS.  22$ 

instant  it  seemed  cruel  that  he  should  have  heard  it  in 
this  way,  —  that  I  should  not  have  been  the  one  to 
break  it  to  him,  and  to  take  the  sting  out  of  it ;  then 
came  the  thought  that  it  was  better  so,  for  I  felt  instinc- 
tively that  I  should  never  have  had  courage  to  tell  him. 
But  the  beating  of  my  heart  was  almost  painful,  as  I 
replied,  "  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  what  the  important 
communication  was." 

He  went  on  calmly :  — 

"  Have  you,  as  she  says,  given  Thurber  a  half-promise 
to  marry  him  ?  " 

"  Oh !  "  I  remonstrated,  "  he  did  not  say  anything 
about  marrying.  I  only  promised  to  think  of  an  engage- 
ment." 

My  companion  smiled  rather  sadly,  as  he  looked  at 
my  flushed  face. 

"  Engagements  lead  to  marriage,  and  are  just  as  bind- 
ing," he  said. 

"  I  don't  understand  how  you  can  think  that." 

"  A  woman  has  no  right  to  engage  herself  to  a  man 
whom  she  does  not  intend  to  marry,"  George  responded 
slowly ;  "  and  it  seems  to  me  that  one  ought  to  hold  an 
engagement  as  sacred  as  a  marriage.  Don't  you  think 
so  ?  "  (looking  at  me  inquiringly). 

"Certainly,"  said  I  emphatically.  "Still,  it  is  not 
really  as  binding." 

He  shook  his  head  in  disapproval. 

"  It  should  be.  A  promise  should  be  as  binding  as 
the  law." 

My  heart  sank  as  I  realized  for  the  first  time  that  I 
15 


226  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

had  given  Mr.  Thurber  a  promise  which  perhaps  I  could 
not  fulfil.  For  the  first  time,  the  full  sense  of  what  I 
had  done  came  over  me,  and  nearly  overwhelmed  me. 
Until  that  moment  I  had  thought  of  it  lightly,  as  some- 
thing which  had  been  said  to  pass  away  the  time. 

After  a  pause,  I  remonstrated :  "  But  mine  is  not  an 
engagement.  I  told  Mr.  Thurber  that  I  would  try  and 
make  up  my  mind  to  be  engaged  to  him  when  he  re- 
turns." 

"You  are  not  kind,"  said  George,  turning  towards 
me,  and  speaking  with  great  deliberation,  "  to  try  and 
blind  me.  It  is  mistaken  pity  on  your  part.  Believe 
me  "  (looking  at  me  with  earnest  kindness),  "  it  is  bet- 
ter for  me  to  face  the  truth ;  then  I  shall  delude  myself 
with  no  false  hopes,  —  that  would  be  the  most  cruel 
thing  of  all.  I  feel  sure  that  you  would  not  have  held 
out  this  hope  to  Thurber  if  you  had  not  intended  to  do 
all  that  lay  in  your  power  to  bring  yourself  to  love  him. 
A  woman  like  you  would  riot  have  made  that  promise 
thoughtlessly,  or  fulfilled  it  carelessly.  You  must  have 
felt  sure  that  you  would  succeed.  You  see  "  (with  a 
half  smile)  "  I  can  reason  calmly  enough  about  it,  and 
I  am  not  afraid  of  the  truth." 

An  unutterable  sadness  came  over  me.  How  little,  in 
reality,  I  fulfilled  his  ideal !  Had  I  not  done  the  very 
thing  he  pronounced  me  incapable  of,  viz.,  given  my 
word  thoughtlessly,  and  fulfilled  it  carelessly?  Never, 
until  that  moment,  had  I  owned  the  truth  to  myself. 

With  an  inward  thanksgiving  that  George  did  not 
knovy  me  as  I  really  was,  I  spoke:  — 


LE  BAL  DBS  PALM1ERS.  22/ 

"You  may  be  perfectly  right.  I  may  have  done 
all  this ;  and  yet "  (I  questioned  steadily)  "  am  I  to 
blame  if  my  heart  has  refused  to  listen  to  my  will,  and 
if  I  find  that  I  cannot  take  the  step  which  he  expects 
of  me  ? " 

He  gave  me  a  startled  glance,  and,  seeing  the  grave 
question  in  his  eyes,  I  laughed.  He  looked  infinitely 
relieved.  "  I  thought,  for  a  moment,  that  you  were  in 
earnest,"  he  said  apologetically. 

"  You  would  have  thought  very  poorly  of  me  if  I 
had  been  so,"  I  remarked,  calmly  beginning  to  eat  my 
peach. 

"  No,"  he  asserted,  "  not  very  poorly;  but  you  would 
have  seemed  fickle,  which  is  the  last  fault  I  should  have 
accused  you  of  possessing "  (with  a  glance  of  admi- 
ration). 

I  felt  wretchedly  mean  and  small.  I  was  alarmed  at 
the  high  opinion  George  had  of  me,  and  the  disappoint- 
ment he  would  feel  if  I  failed  to  keep  my  promise  to 
Chilton  Thurber.  I  have  felt  lately  that  it  would  be 
impossible  for  me  to  do  that.  The  sentiment  I  have  for 
him  is  not  love,  and  I  doubt  my  ability  to  make  it  so. 
"Oh,  surely,"  I  thought,  "George  judges  very  harshly!" 
But  I  concealed  the  pain  I  was  enduring  as  well  as  I 
could,  and  endeavored  to  draw  my  companion  to  other 
topics.  Fortunately,  the  guests  soon  left  the  tables ; 
and  we  followed  their  example,  though  I  cast  one  last 
lingering  look  at  the  glories  which  were  about  to  become 
a  thing  of  the  past. 

When  I  took  my  way  reluctantly  to  the  ball-room,  it 


228  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

was  apparent  that  I  no  longer  threw  myself  into  the 
pleasure  of  the  moment,  as  I  had  done  the  first  of  the 
evening. 

"You  are  not  so  happy  as  you  were  when  you  arrived," 
said  George.  "Why  is  that  ?  " 

"I  could  not  expect  to  be,"  I  answered  ;  "for  I  have 
not  been  so  thoroughly  happy  for  years  as  I  was  when  I 
first  came.  I  knew  it  would  not  last.  I  am  thankful  to 
have  had  the  feeling,  even  for  a  short  time,"  I  added 
lightly. 

There  was  not  much  rest  for  me  last  night.  When  I 
reached  home,  my  thoughts  were  very  unpleasant  com- 
panions. I  began  to  realize,  in  my  inmost  heart,  that  it 
was  my  duty  to  accept  Mr.  Thurber  ;  and  that  duty 
stared  me  blankly  in  the  face,  in  spite  of  all  my  efforts 
to  shut  it  out. 

"  But  it  is  a  sin,"  I  cried  mentally,  "  to  marry  a  man 
whom  I  don't  love !  He  would  not  wish  me  to  say  Yes 
with  my  lips,  while  my  heart  rebelled." 

A  little  voice  answered  me  :  "  Then  you  should  not 
have  promised.  You  said  you  would  try  to  love  him. 
How  have  you  kept  your  word  ?  By  putting  him  as 
much  out  of  your  mind  as  possible.  You  have  failed 
grievously,  but  simply  because  you  have  not  made  the 
effort  which  it  was  your  duty  to  make.  You  have  no 
right  to  shirk  the  punishment  of  your  own  thoughtless 
acts.  The  only  course  which  you  can  pursue  with  honor 
is  to  accept  Chilton  Thurber,  and  then  do  your  best  to 
love  him." 

And  deep  down  in  my  heart  a  few  words  were  whis- 


LE  BAL  DES  PALMIERS.  229 

pered,  which  made  me  wretched  and  ashamed  ;  for  they 
spoke  my  own  weakness  so  clearly,  and  showed  so  plainly 
that  I  could  not  trust  my  own  motives.  These  were  the 
words  which  I  heard  :  — 

"You  must  accept  Chilton  Thurber,  or  George  will 
despise  you  for  being  fickle." 

What  was  it  to  me,  if  George  did  think  me  fickle  ?  So 
I  asked  myself  many  times.  But  in  spite  of  my  com- 
mon sense,  the  words  were  echoed  over  and  over  in  my 
mind. 

February  26,  18 — . 

The  carnival  is  over,  and  Lent  has  begun.  The  last 
palace-ball  was  given  Sunday  evening,  and  that  ended 
the  festivities  of  the  season;  so  we  have  settled  down 
to  a  comparatively  quiet  life. 

The  moujiks'  carnival  was  a  serious  affair,  as  it  was 
impossible  to  get  any  work  done  while  it  lasted.  On  the 
Champs  de  Mars  a  number  of  temporary  theatres  and 
booths  were  erected,  and  the  crowd  was  dense  during  the 
entire  week,  —  men  in  their  sheepskins,  and  women  with 
bright  handkerchiefs  tied  under  their  chins,  all  so  happy 
and  good-tempered !  The  performances  in  the  theatres 
went  on  all  day,  and  nearly  all  night.  Flaming  pictures 
of  Russians  and  Turks  in  mortal  combat,  gunboats  blow- 
ing up,  and  blazing  artillery,  ornamented  the  outside  of 
these  structures. 

Among  the  theatres  were  dozens  of  merry-go-rounds, 
each  having  its  own  particular  style  of  music  ;  and  as 
they  were  near  together,  the  effect  was  something 


230  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

startling.  One  hand-organ  was  grinding  out  the  "  Red, 
White,  and  Blue."  Grace  nearly  wept  with  joy  when 
she  heard  it ;  and  we  had  great  difficulty  in  dragging 
Tom  away  from  the  instrument. 

"  This  is  the  happiest  moment  of  my  visit ! "  he  ex- 
claimed plaintively. 

We  stood  and  watched  the  people  for  a  long  time. 
They  were  so  happy  it  was  a  pleasure  to  look  at  them. 
Towards  the  end  of  the  week,  however,  the  effects  of 
the  carnival  began  to  show  themselves  in  a  rather 
unpleasant  way. 

The  moujik  has  few  wants.  If  he  has  money  enough 
to  buy  his  sheepskin  coat  once  in  six  or  eight  years,  and 
his  black  bread  each  day,  it  is  all  he  desires.  What  can 
he  do  with  any  extra  kopecks  he  may  have  ?  He  spends 
them  for  vodka,  of  course,  and  during  the  carnival  he 
drinks  steadily  all  the  time.  The  result  may  be  imag- 
ined. It  takes  the  first  three  days  of  Lent  for  him  to 
recover  from  the  fete.  During  this  time  it  is  next  to  im- 
possible to  get  any  work  done,  —  even  a  nail  driven  in, 
or  a  shoe  mended. 

But  the  moujik  makes  up  for  his  indulgence  by  the 
severity  of  his  fast.  He  eats  no  meat,  eggs,  milk,  or 
butter ;  and  as  good  fish  is  expensive,  he  takes  it  salt, 
dried,  or  stale.  If  he  falls  ill,  no  power  on  earth  can 
induce  him  to  break  his  fast.  He  would  rather  die  than 
to  commit  the  sin  of  taking  a  mouthful  of  beef  or  wine. 
As  there  are  four  Lents  a  year  in  the  Greek  Church,  I 
for  one  do  not  begrudge  the  Russian  peasant  his  little 
indulgences  between. 


THE  KREMLIN.  231 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

THE    KREMLIN. 

Moscow,  March  2. 

A  DREARY  time  to  travel,  but  still  drearier  to  stay 
**•  at  home,  if  home  be  Petersburg.  The  weather 
has  been  and  still  is  in  a  transition  state,  —  mud  and 
melting  snow  in  the  streets ;  the  sun  persistently  hiding 
his  face ;  short,  dark,  rainy  days  alternating  with  gray, 
snowy  ones. 

The  Russians  call  this  season  the  "  Black  Winter," 
and  it  sometimes  lasts  until  the  middle  of  April.  What 
a  prospect !  But  we  shall  be  far  away  before  then. 

Tom  could  not  make  up  his  mind  to  leave  Russia 
without  seeing  Moscow;  in  fact,  we  all  wanted  to  come 
here,  although  we  were  told  it  would  not  look  its  best  at 
this  dull  season.  Alice  proposed  to  make  one  of  the 
party,  but  Nicolas  could  not  join  us,  and  Tom  almost 
refused  to  go  when  he  found  there  would  be  four  ladies 
in  his  sole  charge.  In  vain  we  told  him  that  we  could 
all  take  care  of  ourselves.  He  replied  that  they  would 
think  he  was  a  Turk  travelling  with  his  harem  ;  though, 
when  questioned,  he  was  quite  vague  in  his  mind  as  to 
who  "  they  "  meant. 

At  last  some  one  suggested  that  George  should  be 


232  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW, 

asked  to  join  the  party.  Tom's  face  became  radiant, 
and  he  added,  "Thurber  told  me  he  would  come  to 
Moscow  for  a  day  or  two  while  we  were  there,  if  I  would 
let  him  know.  He  is  not  far  off,  and  can  get  away  from 
his  hunting  for  a  day  at  least." 

The  more  Tom  talked  about  it,  the  more  pleased  he 
was  with  the  idea  of  asking  George  ;  and  the  latter  con- 
sented to  go  with  us  without  any  hesitation.  We  started 
last  night. 

It  is  fortunate  that  George  came,  for  so  far  he  has 
done  everything  which  has  been  done,  and  Tom  has 
dropped  quietly  into  the  background. 

What  a  city  this  is  !  A  mixture  of  barbaric  splendor 
and  civilized  squalor,  and  so  utterly  unlike  any  place  in 
the  world  that  one  who  has  not  been  here  cannot  get 
the  faintest  idea  of  what  it  is  like. 

I  do  not  think  we  lost  much  by  coming  in  the  night. 
The  country  is  a  vast  wilderness,  for  the  railroad  is  built 
in  a  direct  line,  without  regard  to  cities  which  it  might 
easily  have  been  made  to  pass  through.  I  distinguished 
various  collections  of  low,  shed-like  structures  when  I 
awoke  this  morning.  The  only  signs  of  life  about  them 
were  some  smoking  chimneys.  The  snow  was  drifting 
about  aimlessly  in  the  air,  as  if  loath  to  settle  in  so 
melancholy  a  spot. 

We  partook  of  tea  at  all  hours  of  the  night,  as  on  our 
first  journey  in  Russia.  The  sleeping-car  was  wonder- 
fully comfortable.  Grace,  Alice,  and  I  occupied  a  large 
compartment  at  one  end.  The  former  was  wakeful, 
and,  finding  the  night  cold,  in  the  goodness  of  her  heart 


THE  KREMLIN.  233 


she  occupied  her  sleepless  hours  by  keeping  me  covered 
with  a  fur  cloak.  The  consequence  was,  she  grew 
nervous. 

I  awoke  once,  and  found  her  sitting  on  the  floor  at 
my  feet,  wrapped  up  to  the  chin. 

"  Grace,  what  is  the  matter  ? "  I  asked  anxiously. 

"  I  am  almost  sure,"  she  answered,  puckering  her 
brows  thoughtfully,  "  that  I  forgot  to  tell  Mathilde  to 
put  a  new  flounce  on  that  green  dress,  and  she  will  have 
nothing  to  do  while  we  are  away." 

"  Is  that  all  ? "  was  my  unsympathetic  rejoinder ;  and 
I  fell  asleep  immediately. 

I  slept  until  the  others  were  all  assembled  in  that 
part  of  the  car  which  served  us  for  a  sitting-room  on  the 
journey;  and  when  I  appeared,  Tom  exclaimed, — 

"  Dorris  looks  fresher  than  any  of  you.  How  can  any 
one  feel  so  good-natured  before  breakfast  ?  " 

Tea  and  bread  constituted  the  only  meal  which  we 
were  able  to  procure  before  our  arrival,  at  eleven  o'clock 
this  morning.  George  took  charge  of  the  baggage,  car- 
ried our  parcels,  and  waited  upon  us  untiringly.  After 
all,  polish  is  an  agreeable  thing,  whether  it  covers  much 
heart  or  not.  I  suppose  if  George  had  not  been  edu- 
cated to  wait  upon  ladies,  or  if  he  had  not  acquired  the 
habit  of  caring  for  others,  he  might  be  equally  willing, 
but  he  would  not  know  how  to  do  it.  As  it  is,  he  is 
simply  the  perfection  of  a  travelling  companion.  Tom 
means  well,  and  is  kind-hearted ;  but  it  does  not  occur 
to  him  that  there  is  a  draught  over  Judith's  head,  or  that 
Alice  cannot  open  her  bag,  that  Grace  wants  her  book, 


234  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

or  I  another  pillow,  until  George  has  arranged  it  all, 
when  he  looks  up  with  surprise,  and  says,  "  Why  did  n't 
you  ask  me  ? "  and  immediately  offers  to  do  a  dozen 
things  which  we  do  not  want.  George  did  not  bore  us 
with  too  much  conversation,  either.  In  short,  he  was 
everything  one  could  desire,  and  nothing  which  we  did 
not  desire. 

Arrived  in  this  city,  we  took  possession  of  two  sleighs, 
and  started  for  the  Slaviansky  Bazar.  There  was  a 
damp  snow  falling,  and  it  is  still  storming  fitfully.  Never, 
in  such  a  short  space  of  time,  have  I  suffered  as  much 
as  in  that  drive. 

"  Alice,"  I  cried,  while  my  hat  was  jolted  over  one 
ear,  as  I  grasped  the  seat  tenaciously,  "is  there  any 
pavement  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  worse  than  the  one  in  Petersburg," 
said  my  sister  calmly. 

"  It  reminds  me  of  nothing  so  much  as  the  waves  of 
the  sea,"  I  continued ;  but  Tom  interrupted  me  :  — 

"  The  waves  let  you  down  easy ;  but  these  '  thank-you- 
ma'ams  '  don't  let  you  down  at  all,  —  they  throw  you." 

I  thanked  Providence  inwardly  when,  in  a  very  bat- 
tered condition,  we  reached  the  hotel.  A  porter  in 
Russian  costume  rushed  forward  to  assist  us  out  of  the 
sledge. 

"I  don't  think,"  remarked  Judith,  "that  there  is 
much  of  me  left  to  get  out." 

"We  must  have  breakfast  at  once,"  Tom  insisted; 
and  in  less  than  an  hour  it  was  placed  before  us. 

That  business  disposed  of,  we  strolled  out  in  a  body 


THE  KREMLIN.  235 

and  on  foot  to  explore  the  town.  Tom  proposed  a 
carriage. 

"  No,"  said  Judith,  "  a  sleigh." 

Whereupon  I  added  my  voice  :  "  Whichever  you  take, 
you  will  wish  you  had  taken  the  other.  Let  us  walk." 

My  proposition  met  with  approval,  and  we  started. 

Oh,  the  queer  old  place!  The  shabbiness,  quaint- 
ness,  and  general  junk-shop  appearance  of  the  streets ! 
Mud,  moujiks,  dirty  snow,  painted  signs,  poor  old 
horses,  gorgeous  stucco  palaces,  bright-green  churches, 
scarlet  gates,  walls  with  religious  and  battle  pictures 
painted  over  them,  shrines  with  burning  candles,  second- 
hand shops,  brilliant  passages,  more  churches  than  I 
can  count,  with  gilded  domes  and  minarets  and  crosses  ; 
and,  most  wonderful  of  all  and  above  all,  the  Kremlin ! 
There  never  was  a  city  like  it,  and  there  never  will  be 
another. 

"  So  this  is  Moscow,"  said  Tom,  when  we  had  walked 
a  few  blocks.  "  I  have  seen  enough  to  last  me  a  life- 
time." 

"  It  is  not  in  the  least  like  what  I  had  pictured  it," 
Judith  exclaimed.  Tom  had  brought  out  a  small  note- 
book, and  was  overwhelming  Alice  and  George  with 
questions. 

"  The  idea  of  your  not  knowing  when  that  gate  was 
built,  or  the  name  of  the  architect,"  he  cried  impatiently. 
"  I  shall  not  come  out  again  without  my  '  Murray.' " 

"  I  hope  you  won't,"  laughed  Alice.  "  I  am  not  pre- 
pared to  serve  as  guide-book  for  you." 

We  were  strolling   along  independently,  in   regular 


236  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

tourist  style,  when  Judith,  who  was  a  few  steps  in  ad- 
vance, cried  suddenly,  in  long-drawn  tones  of  wonder 
and  admiration,  "  Oh— h— h  !  " 

"  It  is  Vasili  Blagennoi,"  said  Alice. 

"  I  should  think  it  might  be  something  of  that  sort," 
remarked  Tom,  as  all  six  of  us  came  to  a  stand-still 
before  the  most  gorgeous,  effective,  barbaric  structure 
which  I  ever  saw.  It  was  a  collection  of  towers  and 
domes  of  all  shapes,  sizes,  and  colors,  thrown  together 
helter-skelter,  and  forming  a  church.  Not  a  square 
inch  of  it  was  uncolored.  Scarlets  and  bright  greens 
vied  with  flaming  yellow  and  dull  purple. 

"  I  can  tell'  you  all  you  wish  to  know  about  this,"  said 
George  triumphantly.  "It  was  built  in  the  reign  of 
Ivan  the  Terrible,  by  an  Italian,  whose  eyes  the  wicked 
Tsar  caused  to  be  put  out,  so  that  he  might  never  build 
another  like  it.  This  tradition  you  must  believe,  though 
'  Murray '  says  it  is  a  mistake." 

"  I  should  think  it  would  have  stricken  him  blind," 
I  remarked.  "  Can  we  go  in  ? " 

"  Or,"  added  Tom,  "  shall  we  stand  here  on  the 
corner,  advertising  ourselves  as  tourists  ?  They  might 
suppose  we  belonged  to  Cook,  there  are  so  many  of  us." 

With  eyes  very  wide  open,  we  clattered  up  the  stone 
steps.  It  was  so  cold  and  dark  as  we  entered  that  it 
struck  a  chill  to  the  marrow  of  my  bones. 

"  Imagine  me  your  commissionnaire"  said  George, 
"while  I  explain  everything  to  you.  There  are  eleven 
domes  in  this  church,  and  each  one  contains  a  chapel 
which  is  dedicated  to  a  different  saint." 


THE  KREMLIN.  237 


"  Why  do  you  stop  ? "  asked  Tom.  "  If  you  are  per- 
sonifying a  commissionnaire,  you  must  never  cease  talking 
from  the  time  you  come  in  until  we  fee  you." 

"  I  really  cannot  think  of  anything  more  to  tell  you." 

Alice  now  took  her  turn.  "  The  church  is  built  in 
memory  of  an  idiot,  or  two  idiots." 

"  True ;  I  had  forgotten  that." 

We  made  our  way  from  one  chapel  to  another,  through 
low,  narrow  passages,  the  ceilings  of  which  we  could 
touch  with  our  hands. 

"  Don't  let  us  stay  here,"  pleaded  Grace.  "  If  you 
only  knew  how  cold  I  am  !  " 

We  could  all  sympathize  with  her,  and  we  came  out 
gladly  into  the  damp  air. 

"  Now  for  a  look  at  the  Kremlin,"  cried  Tom,  "  and 
then  home  to  get  warm." 

We  entered  the  gate  nearest  us,  and  walked  about 
among  the  various  buildings  which  constitute  the  Krem- 
lin. Churches,  the  palace,  an  arsenal  and  treasure- 
house,  the  whole  surrounded  by  a  high,  white  wall,  and 
placed  on  an  eminence  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  —  this 
is  the  Kremlin  of  which  I  have  dreamed. 

Looking  at  it,  as  I  did  for  the  first  time,  under  a  dull 
March  sky,  sharp  little  snow-flakes  pelting  me  fiercely 
in  the  face,  melting  snow  under  foot,  and  a  general 
nastiness  and  sloppiness  about  me,  I  was  moved  to  a 
sort  of  wonder  that  any  one  could  ever  have  admired 
this  strange  architecture. 

"  I  never  saw  anything  so  disappointing  as  that  great 
bell "  (standing  at  a  distance,  and  surveying  it  with 


238  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

interest).  "I  expected  it  to  be  three  times  as  large. 
How  do  you  feel  about  it,  Dorris  ? " 

"  I  entirely  agree  with  you." 

"  Life  is  full  of  disappointments,"  quoth  George.  "  If 
we  go  to  the  hotel,  rest  well  to-night,  and  visit  this  spot 
to-morrow,  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  wonder  that  it  could 
have  made  so  little  impression  upon  you  to-day." 

"Very  well,"  said  Grace,  who  is  always  willing  to 
rest,  "  let  us  try  your  plan.  We  shall  feel  fresher 
to-morrow." 

We  passed  the  Holy  Gate  on  our  way  out,  and  were 
told  that  every  one,  from  the  Tsar  down,  goes  through 
it  with  bare  heads. 

March  3. 

We  had  a  spare  hour  before  dinner  yesterday.  The 
rest  of  the  party  went  to  their  various  apartments.  I 
took  possession  of  the  sitting-room  and  the  guide-book. 

Before  long  Tom  and  George  appeared,  with  noses 
slightly  red,  and  a  general  look  of  having  been  out  in 
the  frosty  air. 

"I  thought  you  were  both  diligently  writing  letters," 
I  declared. 

They  looked  rather  doleful,  as  if  their  expedition  had 
not  been  altogether  pleasant.  Neither  of  them  spoke, 
therefore  I  began  to  make  inquiries,  and  elicited  the  in- 
formation that  they  had  been  dropping  cards  on  some 
acquaintances. 

"  But  why  so  dismal  over  it  ?  "  I  cried.  "  Were  any 
of  the  people  in  ? " 


THE  KREMLIN.  239 


No,  they  had  found  no  one  at  home. 

"  My  mail  has  come,"  Tom  vouchsafed  to  remark, 
after  a  moment. 

"Well?"  I  said  inquiringly. 

"  I  must  go  to  America  in  May,  instead  of  remaining 
here  till  the  end  of  the  summer,  and  if  you  and  Grace 
wish  to  see  Italy,  we  must  leave  Petersburg  by  the  mid- 
dle of  this  month.  Even  then  we  shall  be  hurried." 

George  did  not  wait  to  hear  my  comments,  but  walked 
quietly  out  of  the  room.  Tom  busied  himself  with  some 
papers,  and  I  sat  and  thought,  —  thought  of  going  home ; 
and  was  amazed  that  no  thrill  of  joy  ran  through  me, 
but  that,  on  the  contrary,  there  was  a  faint,  dull  disap- 
pointment in  my  heart. 

In  the  midst  of  these  meditations,  the  door  opened, 
and  Mr.  Novissilsky  was  announced  !  I  could  hardly 
believe  my  eyes.  Tom,  of  course,  rushed  forward  to 
meet  him,  but  I  turned  my  back  to  the  room,  and  be- 
came engrossed  in  the  street  scenes  outside.  It  was 
only  when  my  brother-in-law  called  my  name  that  I 
looked  at  the  intruder,  and  bowed  coldly.  This  is  the 
first  time  I  have  come  in  contact  with  him  since  that 
night  at  the  theatre. 

Tom  evidently  thought  my  manner  odd,  but  he  simply 
said  he  would  call  Grace,  and  left  us.  I  knew  that  he 
would  return  immediately,  but  this  was  too  good  a 
chance  to  be  lost,  and  I  determined  to  let  Mr.  Sacha 
Novissilsky  know  what  I  thought  of  him.  Fixing  upon 
him  a  steady  look,  the  contempt  of  which  should  have 
scorched  him,  I  said  slowly,  "  I  wonder  that  you  can 


240  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

present  yourself  before  me  !  You  must  know  what  my 
opinion  of  you  is,  after  the  falsehood  you  deliberately 
told  me  about  Count  Piloff." 

Sacha's  melancholy  face  looked  a  shade  more  sombre, 
and  his  upper  lip  curled  in  an  ugly  way.  He  kept  his 
eyes  fastened  on  the  floor. 

"  Why  do  you  tell  me  it  was  a  falsehood  ? "  he  an- 
swered courteously. 

I  was  taken  by  surprise.  I  did  not  expect  such  self- 
possession. 

"Because  I  believe  Count  Piloff,"  I  answered  firmly. 

"  Oh,  then  you  told  him  of  the  statement  I  made  ? 
No  doubt  he  gave  you  overwhelming  proofs  of  his  ve- 
racity ! "  (with  a  slight  sneer,  but  still  a  courteous  man- 
ner). "  George  is  famous,"  he  went  on,  "  for  making 
the  ladies  believe  him,  and  no  doubt  —  "  Here  he  was 
interrupted  by  Tom's  reappearance.  I  went  out  of  the 
room  in  a  white  heat,  and  did  not  return  until  he  had 
taken  his  departure. 

"  I  wonder,"  said  I,  as  I  took  my  seat  at  the  dinner- 
table,  "why  that  young  man  follows  us  about  in  this 
way !  " 

"  You  are  unkind,  Dorris,"  remonstrated  Judith.  "  He 
came  to  Moscow  to  see  an  old  comrade  who  is  dying, 
and  he  has  taken  George  off  with  him  to  the  bedside  of 
their  friend." 

"  I  thought  you  would  freeze  him  stiff  when  he  made 
his  appearance,"  cried  Tom. 

"  I  intended  to  do  so." 

"  But  why  ?    What  harm  has  he  done  you  ?  " 


THE  KREMLIN.  241 


I  did  not  care  to  explain,  so  I  made  some  laughing 
reply,  and  turned  my  attention  to  dinner. 

We  had  planned  to  go  to  the  theatre  in  the  evening. 
George  did  not  return,  so  we  started  without  him.  It 
was  rather  a  dismal  affair,  though  we  all  did  our  best  to 
be  gay. 

When  we  met  at  breakfast  this  morning,  George 
looked  grave  and  troubled.  He  informed  us  that  the 
friend  whom  he  and  Sacha  had  gone  to  see  was  dead, 
and  then  he  seemed  to  make  an  effort  to  throw  off 
gloomy  thoughts,  and  to  help  us  enjoy  ourselves. 

We  went  to  the  Kremlin  again.  A  fresh,  pure  coat- 
ing of  snow  had  fallen  during  the  night,  and  dazzled  us 
in  the  sunlight.  The  domes  of  the  churches  within  the 
walls  took  deeper,  purer  shades  of  blue,  green,  and 
gold,  and  the  sunshine  scintillated  on  the  delicate  tra- 
cery of  the  chains  and  crosses  which  surmounted  them. 
We  got  a  magnificent  view  of  the  city  from  the  walls. 
We  were  raised  so  high  above  the  squalor  and  the  dirt 
that  they  did  not  stare  us  in  the  face  ;  the  white  snow, 
too,  covered  a  multitude  of  sins.  We  looked  down  upon 
hundreds  of  minarets,  spires,  domes,  and  crosses,  all 
brightly  colored  and  shining  in  the  sun  ;  countless  green 
roofs  added  their  contribution  of  color ;  and  far  in  the 
distance  was  the  low  range  of  the  Sparrow  Hills,  from 
which  Napoleon  got  his  first  view  of  Moscow. 

We  all  agreed  that  the  scene  was  utterly  different 
from  yesterday,  when  we  had  seen  it  in  a  smart,  pelting 
snow-storm. 

From  thence  we  proceeded  to  inspect  the  interior  of 
16 


242  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

the  Church  of  the  Assumption,  in  which  all  the  Tsars  of 
Russia  have  been  crowned,  beginning  with  the  first  Ro- 
manoff. It  is  small,  but  full  to  overflowing  of  historical 
reminiscences  and  ornaments.  The  platform  on  which 
the  coronation  takes  place  stands  under  the  dome. 
Around  the  walls  are  tombs  of  ecclesiastical  dignitaries, 
the  most  honored  having  the  corner  places.  There 
is  not  an  inch  of  the  cathedral  which  is  unornamented. 

"  Here,"  said  George,  standing  in  front  of  the  icono- 
stase,  "  is  a  picture  of  the  Virgin  which,  according  to 
tradition,  was  painted  by  St.  Luke." 

"  Oh,"  cried  Grace,  "  what  gorgeous  jewels  ! " 

"The  gems  in  this  icon,"  continued  our  cicerone,  "are 
worth  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  the 
riches  inside  this  little  building  amount  to  more  than 
all  the  wealth  of  the  empire." 

The  others  began  enthusiastically  to  examine  the 
iconostase,  which  was  of  gold,  ornamented  with  pictures 
and  rich  jewels.  George  drew  my  attention  to  the  walls 
of  the  building,  covered  with  painting,  and  incrusted 
with  Siberian  marble. 

"  I  suppose  this  is  jasper,"  said  I  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,"  George  responded  rather  absently,  then  added 
abruptly,  "  I  thought  you  did  not  like  Sacha." 

I  must  have  looked  surprised  at  the  suddenness  of 
this  remark  ;  but  my  companion  did  not  vouchsafe  a 
glance  in  my  direction.  He  was  apparently  absorbed 
in  contemplation  of  the  tomb  of  St.  Peter. 

"  I  do  not  like  him,"  said  I,  at  last ;  "  on  the  contrary 
I  dislike  him  intensely." 


THE  KREMLIN.  243 


"  Yet  you  and  he  were  quite  confidential  in  Peters- 
burg," he  returned,  making  an  unsuccessful  effort  to 
speak  lightly. 

I  answered,  in  rather  a  reflective  tone,  — 

"  He  was  confidential.  At  first  I  was  sorry  for  him, 
because  I  thought  Judith  treated  him  so  badly,  and  I 
used  to  sympathize  with  him.  I  soon  ceased  to  waste 
my  sympathy,  however." 

"  What  did  your  cousin  do  to  him  ? " 

"That  seems  to  me  a  most  foolish  and  unnecessary 
question,"  I  answered  impatiently.  "  You  must  have 
known  that  Sacha  was  in  love  with  her.  She  encour- 
aged him,  as  well  as  Prince  Tucheff  and  all  of  them, 
when  she  was  really  engaged  to  another  man.  I  cannot 
understand,"  I  added  virtuously,  "  how  she  did  it ! " 

George  looked  at  me  for  an  instant,  with  a  disagree- 
able smile. 

"  I  dare  say  you  cannot,"  he  exclaimed ;  and  with  a 
short,  bitter  laugh,  turned  to  Tom,  who  was  asking  him 
some  question. 

I  wandered  on  alone,  with  a  little  throb  of  indigna- 
tion in  my  heart.  George  can  be  extremely  disagreeable 
when  he  chooses.  What  did  he  intend  by  that  sarcastic 
manner  and  significant  look  ?  Why  should  he  have  an- 
swered me  in  that  way  ?  What  did  Sacha  mean  by  say- 
ing George  could  make  ladies  believe  him  ?  I  dislike  a 
man  whom  I  cannot  understand.  Two  days  ago  —  nay, 
even  last  night  —  I  believe  I  was  on  the  verge  of  falling 
in  love.  What  a  fortunate  escape  for  me !  I  should 
not  like  to  fall  in  love  with  a  sarcastic  man.  Besides, 


244  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

am  I  not  as  good  as  engaged  to  Chilton  Thurber? 
George  would  never  ask  me  to  marry  him,  because  he 
considers  me  pledged  ;  yet  it  would  seem  as  if  he  meant 
to  imply  that  I  had  encouraged  his  attentions.  Well,  I 
give  up  trying  to  understand  him,  but  I  am  very  glad 
that  I  am  not  in  love  with  him. 

While  I  was  pondering  over  these  various  perplexing 
thoughts,  and  losing  my  good  spirits,  to  say  nothing  of 
my  temper,  my  revery  was  broken  by  Tom,  who  was 
saying,  — 

"  Thurber  will  not  have  much  time  with  us  if  he  does 
not  come  to-day." 

"  Do  you  expect  him  ? "  I  cried,  angry  with  myself 
that  I  could  not  drive  back  the  blood  which  rushed  in  a 
torrent  to  my  face. 

"  Surely,  Dorris,  you  heard  me  say  that  I  had  written 
him  when  we  were  to  be  here  ! "  Tom  replied  in  an 
injured  tone. 

They  were  all  standing  about  me,  and  I  felt  the  neces- 
sity for  restraining  the  impatient  words  which  were 
ready  to  drop  from  my  lips.  Forcing  the  blandest 
possible  smile,  I  said,  as  I  turned  towards  the  door,  — 

"  How  delightful  to  have  him  here  with  us !  " 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  grumbled  Tom.  "  We 
can't  stay  forever  waiting  for  him." 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  send  him  a  telegram  at 
once,"  interposed  George.  "  He  may  not  have  received 
the  letter." 

"  Perhaps,"  I  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  which,  though 
carefully  modulated,  thrilled  with  vexation,  "we  had 


THE  KREMLIN.  245 

better  do  nothing  of  the  sort !  If  Mr.  Thurber  does 
not  wish  to  meet  us,  we  had  better  not  force  him  to 
do  so." 

There  was  an  awkward  silence  for  a  moment,  broken 
by  Tom,  who  remarked  something  about  my  being 
"  excited." 

Judith  put  her  hand  on  my  arm  and  drew  me  away, 
and  I  felt  that  I  was  being  soothed,  and  that  every  one 
wished  me  to  return  to  a  better  temper.  I  wished  the 
same.  It  was  extremely  disagreeable  to  feel  so  hot  and 
excited. 

We  went  through  the  Treasury,  but  I  have  no  idea 
what  we  saw.  George  did  not  speak  to  me  again,  and  I 
was  glad  he  did  not.  In  fact,  every  one  let  me  alone. 
I  imagine  they  were  sorry  for  me,  because  they  thought 
I  was  so  disappointed  at  Mr.  Thurber's  non-appearance. 
This  was  humiliating,  but  I  knew  not  how  to  undeceive 
them.  It  is  not  so  unpleasant  to  have  people  suppose 
that  Chilton  Thurber,  and  even  George,  are  desperately 
in  love  with  me  ;  but  it  is  a  different  matter  when  they 
begin  to  think  that  I  am  pining  for  a  person  who  neg- 
lects me.  I  suspect  that  my  heart  was  made  on  a  small 
scale.  I  am  troubled  about  it.  Either  I  am  becoming 
fickle,  or  I  never  knew  myself  before.  Certainly  I 
never  thought  so  much  about  myself. 

Evening. 

As  we  were  sitting  at  lunch,  our  English  friend 
arrived.  I  was  absurdly  conscious  when  I  shook  hands 
with  him,  —  aware  of  a  blush  on  my  face,  and  of  the 


246  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

fact  that  all  the  party  except  George  turned  their  eyes 
away  from  our  meeting. 

"  So  you  have  come  at  last !  "  cried  Alice.  "  We 
thought  you  were  very  slow  about  it." 

"  I  did  not  receive  the  letter  until  last  night." 

"  These  Russians,"  said  Tom,  "  are  incapable  of  hur- 
rying. Tell  them  '  Si  Chass,'  and  they  think  that  means 
any  time  within  a  week." 

We  finished  our  lunch  leisurely,  listening  to  Mr. 
Thurber's  account  of  his  adventures.  Then  we  all 
strolled  out  to  see  the  palace.  Mr.  Thurber,  as  of  old, 
constituted  himself  my  escort,  and  took  occasion  to  say 
to  me  very  quietly,  — 

"  I  shall  spend  only  a  day  or  two  with  you,  and  I  shall 
not  ask  you  what  decision  you  have  arrived  at  until  I 
come  to  Petersburg.  If  my  presence  here  annoys  you, 
I  trust  you  will  tell  me." 

"  Why  should  it  ?  "  I  responded  frankly.  "  I  like  to 
have  you  here." 

He  looked  unmistakably  pleased  ;  and  I  thought,  at 
that  moment,  that  I  should  find  it  easy  to  get  along 
with  him,  if  I  did  marry  him.  He  never  annoys  or 
makes  me  lose  my  temper,  as  George  does.  So  we 
wandered  through  the  palace,  chatting  in  the  best  possi- 
ble spirits ;  and  I  wondered  how  I  could  have  forgotten 
what  a  pleasant  companion  Mr.  Thurber  always  has 
been.  At  first,  the  others  left  us  to  ourselves.  Then 
Tom,  forgetting  his  role  of  match-maker,  which  had  been 
instilled  into  him  by  the  women  of  his  family,  called 
upon  Mr.  Thurber  to  settle  some  discussion  he  was  hav- 
ing with  Judith. 


THE  KREMLIN.  247 


I  stood  looking  out  of  one  of  the  great  windows  in  the 
Hall  of  St.  George.  As  I  turned  away  from  it,  my  eyes 
fell  upon  George,  who  was  staring  absently  at  an  inscrip- 
tion on  the  wall.  There  was  such  an  expression  of  mis- 
ery on  his  face  that  my  heart  smote  me.  I  stood  still  in 
the  window. 

"  Count  Piloff,"  said  I  graciously,  "  will  you  be  kind 
enough  to  come  and  tell  me  what  I  am  looking  at  out  of 
the  window  ? " 

He  glared  at  me,  as  though  he  were  half-inclined  to 
refuse,  but  came  forward  reluctantly,  until  we  were  side 
by  side  in  the  window  embrasure.  Then  I  spoke  :  — 

"  You  act  so  strangely  to-day.  Perhaps  I  have  been 
disagreeable  ;  but  I  am  amiable  now,  and  I  want  you  to 
be  pleasant." 

He  looked  as  if  he  did  not  understand  my  words,  and 
I  waited  some  time  for  his  reply.  It  was  spoken  at  last, 
low  and  hurriedly,  with  eyes  resolutely  fixed  on  the 
many-colored  roofs  below  us. 

"  I  know  you  would  prefer  to  see  me  always  gay  and 
smiling,  —  ready  to  talk  when  you  wish  it;  equally  ready 
to  listen  when  you  wish  to  talk ;  willing  to  have  you  treat 
me  one  day  as  if  you  had  a  really  friendly  feeling  for 
me,  and  the  next  day  spurn  me  with  contempt ;  always 
happy,  never  wretched  and  miserable,  even  though  you 
have  done  all  in  your  power  to  make  me  so.  You  would 
prefer  to  have  me  like  that ;  but  I  am  finding  out  every 
day  that  you  are  disappointed  in  me ;  and  I  can  assure 
you  that  you  expect  more  than  any  man  who  is  merely 
mortal  can  give  ! " 


248  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  I  should  think  so,"  I  answered,  ready  to  smile,  "  if  I 
expected  all  that.  You  take  altogether  a  wrong  view  of 
the  matter.  You  should  not  be  angry,  because  —  " 

"  O  Dorris  !  "  he  interrupted  gently,  turning  a  sad 
face  towards  me.  "  I  am  not  angry  with  you,  my  dear. 
I  never  have  been.  You  cannot  appreciate  how  ridicu- 
lously happy  it  makes  me  when  you  look  at  and  speak 
to  me  kindly,  though  I  know  it  means  nothing  more  than 
that  you  don't  dislike  me.  When  you  are  cross,  I-  can- 
not help  imagining  that  it  is  my  fault.  It  is  my  supreme 
foolishness  in  thinking  myself  of  enough  importance  to 
affect  you  in  any  way.  Come,"  starting  to  join  the 
others  who  were  leaving  the  hall.  "  Don't  mind  what  I 
say,"  he  added,  as  we  strolled  along.  "  I  suppose  it  is 
Thurber's  coming  which  has  put  me  out,  and  your  hap- 
piness in  seeing  him.  It  was  so  pleasant  having  you  all 
to  myself,  I  forgot  there  was  any  one  who  had  a  prior 
claim." 

"  You  must  have  found  it  pleasant,"  I  responded 
dryly.  "  You  proved  it  by  going  out  with  Sacha,  and 
remaining  away  all  the  evening." 

"  Did  you  care  ?  "  he  cried  quickly,  looking  a  shade 
less  wretched.  "  I  thought  you  would  be  glad  to  have  me 
away,  —  especially  after  what  Sacha  told  me." 

"  What  did  he  tell  you  ? "  I  exclaimed,  stopping 
short. 

"Nothing  which  should  have  disturbed  me;  for  I 
ought  to  have  discovered  it  myself  long  ago." 

"  But  what  was  it  ?  "  I  insisted. 

He  looked  a  little  surprised,  but  answered,  quite 
frankly :  — 


THE  KREMLIN.  249 


"  He  only  reminded  me  of  how  much  you  and  he 
used  to  talk  together,  and  told  me  that  the  subject  of 
your  conversation  was  generally  Thurber.  Then  he 
pointed  out  a  thousand  little  things  which  happened  in 
Petersburg,  to  prove  that  you  cared  more  for  Thurber  in 
the  beginning  than  you  imagined." 

"What  did  you  say  to  all  this?"  I  exclaimed,  as  calmly 
as  possible. 

"  I  listened." 

"And  then?" 

"And  then,"  replied  George,  a  faint  flush  creeping 
over  his  face,  "  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  care  to  discuss 
Miss  Romilly's  likes  and  dislikes  with  him." 

"  And  he  ?  " 

"  He  smiled,  and  changed  the  subject." 

"  He  is  a  miserable  coward ! "  said  I  vehemently.  "  I 
hope  you  will  never  believe  anything  he  tells  you  about 
me." 

"  Sacha  is  very  much  like  other  men.  The  greatest 
fault  which  he  has  is  a  fondness  for  hearing  himself 
talk." 

I  restrained  myself  by  a  violent  effort,  and  said  no 
more  about  Sacha ;  but  I  must  confess  I  did  not  under- 
stand George,  and  I  do  not  understand  him  now.  Only 
a  week  or  two  ago,  he  was  encouraging  me  to  be  faithful 
to  Chilton  Thurber,  and  never  hinted  at  the  possibility  of 
my  caring  for  him.  Now,  he  is  angry  because  he  thinks 
I  have  been  in  love  with  Mr.  Thurber  all  the  time.  How 
inconsistent  men  are ! 

Tom  drew  near,  and  put  an  end  to  our  conversation : 


2$0  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

"  Shall  we  go  to  see  the  home  of  the  first  Romanoff,  or 
not  ? " 

"  Let  us  go,  by  all  means,"  I  responded. 

The  others  agreeing,  we  left  the  palace,  and  drove  to 
a  humble  little  house  in  another  part  of  the  town. 

"  This,"  said  Alice,  as  we  entered  the  low  room,  "  is 
where  the  first  Tsar  of  Russia  was  born  ;  and  although 
I  have  been  four  times  in  Moscow,  I  never  came  here 
before." 

"  After  all,"  remarked  George,  who  had  been  talking 
incessantly  on  the  way  from  the  palace,  "the  Romanoffs 
were  not  thought  so  highly  of  in  those  days.  The  Dol- 
goroukys  were  great  boyars  before  the  Romanoffs  were 
ever  heard  of." 

"  The  greatness  of  the  Romanoffs,"  said  Tom,  in  an 
important  manner,  "  dates  from  that  time.  I  suppose  a 
republican  form  of  government  would  not  have  worked 
Well  among  you  turbulent  Russians ;  else  it  is  a  pity 
that,  instead  of  electing  a  Tsar,  they  did  not  make  him 
president  for  life." 

"I  am  not  interested  in  your  political  discussions," 
said  Grace  ;  "  but  I  should  like  to  know  if  this  is  a 
stove." 

It  was  a  delicate  bit  of  furniture,  composed  of  painted 
porcelain  tiles. 

"  That  is  a  stove,"  responded  George,  "  and  there  is 
a  story  painted  on  it,  and  illustrated  by  these  pictures." 

On  the  first  floor  of  the  house  were  only  four  small, 
low  rooms.  The  wife's  apartments  were  above,  reached 
by  a  flight  of  steep,  narrow  stairs.  The  furniture  would 


THE  KREMLIN. 


send  a  "  modern  antique  "  dealer  into  ecstasies.  The 
cradle  and  toys  of  the  young  Romanoff  have  been  pre- 
served, as  well  as  the  book  out  of  which  he  learned  to 
read. 

"  I  wonder  why  this  door  was  made  so  low,"  said 
Judith,  as  we  were  obliged  to  bend  our  backs  nearly 
double  in  passing  from  one  room  to  another. 

"  The  great  man  had  a  deal  of  trouble  with  his  boy- 
ars,"  replied  George.  "  They  refused  to  make  obeisance 
to  him,  therefore  he  had  this  door,  by  which  they  entered 
his  presence,  cut  so  low  that  they  were  obliged  to  stoop 
in  passing  through  it." 

"  What  an  ingenious  idea  !  " 

The  afternoon  had  worn  away  while  we  were  thus  en- 
gaged, and  we  now  found  it  time  to  return  to  the  hotel 
for  dinner.  In  place  of  changing  my  dress,  I  have  been 
writing  my  experiences. 

I  confess  frankly  that  I  am  as  much  puzzled  with  my- 
self as  I  am  with  George.  Instead  of  being  consumed 
with  grief  at  the  sorrow  I  am  causing  others,  I  find  it 
quite  pleasant  to  have  two  men  in  love  with  me.  I  am 
quite  aware  that  my  feelings  are  selfish  to  the  last 
degree.  How  heartless  I  must  be  !  When  I  am  with 
George  I  prefer  him  ;  and  when  I  am  with  Mr.  Thurber 
I  wonder  how  I  could  ever  have  liked  George  better. 

There  is  one  thing  about  the  latter  which  is  rather 
absurd  :  I  could  not  marry  him  if  I  would,  for  he  has 
never  asked  me  !  He  takes  it  so  for  granted  that  I  have 
no  idea  of  caring  for  him  that  I  am  sure  it  would  be 
awkward  if  I  did  care,  for  I  should  be  obliged  to  tell 


252  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

him  the  fact  plainly.  Yet  he  is  not  a  calm,  placid  lover, 
like  the  Englishman.  Mr.  Thurber  has  an  air  of  saying 
mentally,  "  If  you  conclude  to  marry  me,  you  will  make 
a  sensible  decision,  and  will  please  me  extremely ;  but 
if  you  decide  otherwise,  I  shall  wonder  how  you  could 
be  so  foolish.  I  do  not  allow  myself,  in  the  mean  time, 
to  get  excited  over  it ;  and  whatever  you  may  say  or  do 
will  suit  me  perfectly." 

These  are  his  thoughts  as  I  imagine  them.  He  re- 
fuses to  be  jealous  or  angry.  I  cannot  arouse  in  him 
the  expression  of  anything  beyond  a  proper,  reasonable 
liking.  George,  on  the  contrary,  although  he  tells  me 
fiercely  enough  that  he  knows  I  do  not  care  for  him,  is 
uneasy  and  wretched  if  I  talk  long  with  any  one  else, 
and  watches  me  continually.  He  gets  in  a  passion 
with  me,  and  then  says  he  loves  me  too  much  to  be 
angry.  My  sober  judgment  tells  me  that  Chilton  Thur- 
ber is  much  better  suited  to  me. 

My  life  is  not  as  peaceful  as  it  was  before  I  had  two 
lovers,  and  I  fear  I  am  growing  inordinately  vain.  Ju- 
dith must  have  an  immense  amount  of  character  not 
to  be  completely  spoiled  by  the  amount  of  attention 
she  has  received. 


THE  BLACK   WINTER.  253 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

THE     BLACK     WINTER. 

PETERSBURG,  March  6. 

WE  bade  a  reluctant  farewell  to  Moscow,  taking 
our  last  look  at  the  wall  of  the  Kremlin  and 

/ 

the  colored  domes  which  rise  out  of  it,  by  the  light  of  a 
full  moon,  which  glorified  everything,  and  gave  a  weird, 
white  beauty  to  the  scene.  Soon  we  shall  pack  our 
trunks  and  go  away  ;  and  our  places  will  be  filled  by 
others,  and  no  one  will  miss  us  or  care.  For  a  little 
while  Alice  will  be  conscious  of  regret;  but  all  her  in- 
terests are  here,  she  has  her  husband  and  child,  and 
she  will  get  on  very  well  without  us.  This  thought 
should  not  have  power  to  sadden  me,  but  it  has. 

"When  I  get  home,"  Judith  says,  "I  shall  never 
come  back  to  Europe." 

I  feel  a  strange  reluctance  to  look  beyond  the  present 
moment.  I  never  picture  myself  returning  to  my  coun- 
try and  friends.  I  only  wish  I  could  stay  forever  just  as 
I  am,  and  that  change  might  never  come  to  any  of  us. 
When  I  said  something  like  this  to  Judith,  she  laughed 
softly.  "  You  would  soon  grow  tired  of  it,"  she  insisted. 

Such  a  climate  as  this  is  now !  One  must  be  of  a 
wonderfully  cheerful  nature  not  to  be  depressed  by  the 


254  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

constant  gloom  of  this  "  Black  Winter."  Not  possessing 
the  requisite  amount  of  elasticity,  I  am  a  very  dismal 
object.  Tom  looks  at  me  often,  and  shakes  his  head 
disapprovingly.  "  Too  many  balls,"  he  says.  "  You 
were  born  for  a  quiet  life,  Dorris." 

March  14. 

Only  a  few  more  days  and  my  brief  respite  will  be 
over,  and  Mr.  Thurber  will  return.  In  fact,  he  should 
be  here  to-day.  As  the  time  draws  near,  I  shrink  more 
and  more  from  the  necessary  decision.  Why  is  it  that  I 
cannot  make  up  my  mind  ?  George  could  hardly  assert 
that  I  set  myself  up  on  a  pedestal  now.  I  look  upon 
myself  as  one  of  the  weakest  young  women  I  have  ever 
met,  and  I  even  plead  guilty  to  a  grain  of  coquetry. 
I  am  almost  sure  I  shall  feel  sorry  for  it  afterwards  if  I 
do  not  accept  Chilton  Thurber ;  and  I  know  George 
will  be  painfully  disappointed  in  me.  It  is  not  as  if  he 
expected  to  win  me  himself.  That  idea  seems  never  to 
have  occurred  to  him,  though  I  did  my  best  to  make  it 
dawn  upon  his  mind  when  we  were  in  Moscow. 

He  is  strangely  obtuse  on  that  point.  Having  recov- 
ered from  the  severe  attack  of  jealousy  which  I  have 
recorded,  he  seems  quite  reconciled  to  looking  upon  me 
as  Mr.  Thurber's  promised  wife,  and  loses  no  oppor- 
tunity of  showing  that  he  regards  me  in  that  light. 

After  all,  why  should  I  marry  Mr.  Thurber  ?  I  have 
been  very  happy  as  a  single  woman,  while  perhaps  I 
should  be  less  so  if  I  married.  It  is  not  that  I  am 
afraid  of  being  an  old  maid,  for  that  prospect  has  never 


THE  BLACK    WINTER.  255 

had  any  terrors  for  me.  But  I  have  a  strange  reluc- 
tance to  leave  Europe,  which  I  cannot  understand.  I 
fear  that  deep  down  in  my  heart  is  the  desire  to  avoid 
George's  disapprobation.  Also,  I  am  really  fond  of 
Chilton  Thurber.  I  see  that  I  am  reasoning  in  a  circle, 
so  I  will  cease. 

Life  is  not  all  sunshine,  even  for  those  who  have 
royal  blood  in  their  veins.  One  of  the  young  nephews 
of  the  Emperor  is  dead.  Mourning  comes  alike  to  all 
of  us. 

Grace  had  a  desire  to  see  the  funeral  procession  pass^ 
ing  across  the  river  from  the  palace  to  the  fortress,  and 
I  consented  to  go  with  her,  feeling  that  nothing  could 
make  my  spirits  any  lower.  We  ordered  the  carriage 
and  started. 

The  snow  was  thawing,  and  the  streets  were  full  of  a 
dirty  slush.  Instead  of  the  rain  alternating  with  snow, 
which  has  fallen  persistently  for  the  last  two  weeks,  the 
air  was  impregnated  with  a  gray  mist,  which  settled  on 
the  river  where  we  stood,  and  permitted  us  only  to  dis- 
tinguish the  faint  outlines  of  the  lofty  palaces  on  the 
bank.  We  waited  for  several  minutes  before  we  heard, 
through  the  fog,  which  seemed  to  muffle  the  sound,  the 
weird  music  which  betokened  the  approach  of  the  pro- 
cession. 

Gradually  they  drew  nearer.  Through  the  lines  of 
soldiers  which  bordered  the  road  came  a  regiment  of 
lancers,  the  arms  and  flag  of  the  house,  the  pages  and 
servants,  each  bearing  a  lighted  candle.  A  crowd  of 
priests,  numbering  not  less  than  one  hundred,  followed 


256  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

with  lamps.  The  hearse  was  drawn  by  six  horses,  with 
black  blankets  and  plumes,  and  the  coffin  was  covered 
with  cloth-of-gold  lined  with  ermine.  The  Emperor 
and  grand  dukes  rode  directly  behind  it,  on  horseback. 
Mourning  coaches  and  more  soldiers  followed. 

We  drove  away  from  the  sad  scene  in  sympathetic 
silence,  made  our  way  through  the  dreary  streets,  and 
were  glad  to  reach  our  own  door  again. 

I  wonder  why  Mr.  Thurber  does  not  come.  I  wonder 
if  he  will  come.  It  would  seem  rather  hard  on  me  if, 
after  overcoming  my  reluctance,  and  making  up  my 
mind  to  accept  him,  he  should  not  make  his  appear- 
ance. What  an  embarrassing  situation  that  would  be ! 

March  21. 

To-morrow  we  start  for  Warsaw,  on  our  way  to  Vienna. 
Judith  is  happy,  for  we  are  to  stay  a  week  in  the  Aus- 
trian capital,  and  there  she  will  see  Roger.  She  goes 
about  the  house  with  a  smile  on  her  face,  and  breaks 
out  now  and  then  into  song ;  while  I,  to  mark  the  con- 
trast, grow  daily  more  dismal. 

Mr.  Thurber  has  not  come,  neither  have  we  received 
any  word  from  him.  I  know  that  my  friends  attribute 
my  melancholy  to  his  non-appearance,  and  are  pitying 
me  in  secret.  Perhaps,  after  all,  they  are  not  so  wrong; 
for  while  at  first  I  felt  a  deep  relief  as  day  after  day 
passed,  and  he  did  not  appear,  yet  now  I  begin  to  be 
slightly  chagrined,  and  to  wonder  if  his  heart  has  failed 
him,  or  if  he  has  discovered  that  he  does  not  care  for 
me,  as  he  supposed. 


THE  BLACK   WINTER. 


George's  one  effort  has  been  to  persuade  me  that  Mr. 
Thurber  is  not  ill  or  in  trouble  ;  and  he  looks  at  me 
gravely  when  he  thinks  I  am  not  observing  him.  His 
sympathy  I  repulse,  and  his  attempts  at  consolation  meet 
with  no  response  from  me.  I  have  not  been  kind  to  him 
lately  ;  in  fact,  I  have  not  been  kind  to  any  one,  —  least 
of  all  to  myself. 

To-day  will  be  spent  in  farewells  ;  and  to-morrow  we 
shall  bid  good-by  to  Russia  and  the  Russians  for- 
ever. 

Evening. 

As  I  wrote  those  words,  a  familiar  voice  in  the  next 
room  set  my  heart  to  beating  furiously.  I  closed  my 
journal,  rose  to  my  feet,  but  for  a  minute  could  not 
move. 

He  had  come  at  last.  He  was  in  the  next  room,  talk- 
ing to  Grace  !  I  summoned  all  my  self-control  to  my 
aid,  and  went  in. 

In  my  desire  not  to  show  too  much  emotion,  I  felt  that 
I  was  giving  him  a  cold  reception  ;  but  Tom  made  up 
for  it  by  his  boisterous  greetings.  He  began  to  ask 
questions. 

"We  certainly  thought  you  must  have  shot  yourself  or 
been  eaten  by  a  bear.  What  have  you  been  doing? 
Why  did  you  stay  so  long  ?  " 

As  I  surveyed  Mr.  Thurber's  tall  figure,  standing  in 
our  midst,  it  seemed  to  me  that  he  had  grown  more 
unbending  than  ever.  He  looked  pleased,  however,  and 
slightly  excited. 

17 


2$8  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

11  We  were  hunting,"  he  explained,  "  and  were  over- 
taken by  a  storm.  It  was  a  week  before  it  was  possi- 
ble to  get  back  to  the  village :  we  missed  our  connections 
with  the  trains,  and  the  roads  were  in  such  a  condition 
that  fast  travelling  was  out  of  the  question." 

"  I  am  mighty  glad  to  see  you,  Thurber.  Upon  my 
word,  I  am,"  reiterated  Tom.  "You  are  just  in  time  to 
see  us  off.  We  leave  to-morrow." 

"  So  soon !  "  exclaimed  the  other.  "  Which  way  do 
you  go  ? " 

"  Through  Warsaw.  I  want  to  stay  there  a  day  or 
two,  to  remind  me  of  the  days  when  I  read  '  Thaddeus 
of  Warsaw.'  Then  we  are  going  to  Vienna,  for  a  week. 
Grace  has  never  been  there.  After  that,  I  suppose  we 
shall  take  a  peep  at  Italy ;  but  we  have  not  decided  upon 
anything  beyond  Vienna." 

"  I  have,"  said  Grace.     "  We  are  going  to  Florence." 

"I  did  not  intend  to  remain  in  Russia  so  late  as  this," 
said  Mr.  Thurber.  "  I  should  like  to  join  your  party,  if 
you  permit." 

"  Really  !  Will  you  ?  "  cried  Tom  eagerly  •  and  in  a 
few  minutes  it  was  arranged  that  he  should  start  to-mor- 
row with  us. 

He  then  took  leave,  saying  he  had  farewell  calls  to 
make  ;  and  we  resumed  our  packing. 

To-night  we  are  all  tired.  We  dined  together  for  the 
last  time  with  Alice.  There  were  no  strangers  present, 
it  being  intended  for  a  cheerful  farewell  meal.  We  were 
in  better  spirits  than  seemed  quite  natural,  considering 
that  it  was,  in  all  probability,  the  last  time  we  should  all 
meet  together  in  that  room. 


THE  BLACK    WINTER.  259 

I  was  in  a  fever  of  anxiety  lest  I  should  break  down, 
and  made  every  effort  to  be  merry.  The  others  did 
likewise,  but  none  of  us  were  calm  :  our  laughter  had  a 
thrill  of  nervousness  in  it.  It  was  only  George  who 
seemed  perfectly  natural :  his  voice  was  no  louder  than 
usual,  and  his  face  was  very  quiet. 

The  dinner  was  not  long,  and  the  gentlemen  did  not 
linger  in  the  smoking-room.  I  ran  away  to  the  nursery 
to  see  the  baby,  making  my  escape  unobserved ;  and, 
having  kissed  the  soft  little  face  many  times,  with  a 
strange  pain  in  my  heart,  I  started  to  return  to  the 
others. 

On  my  way,  I  thought  I  would  take  a  peep  at  the 
library.  It  is  my  favorite  room,  and  I  had  a  fancy  to 
take  a  last  look  at  it  by  myself. 

So,  pushing  the  portiere  aside,  I  entered.  The  light 
from  the  dining-room  shone  in,  and  made  a  bar  of  flick- 
ering yellow  on  the  thick  rug.  In  the  fireplace  were  a 
few  live  coals  in  a  bed  of  ashes.  George  stood  by  the 
chimney,  his  elbows  on  the  mantel,  and  his  face  buried 
in  his  hands. 

My  entry  had  been  so  noiseless  that  it  had  failed  to 
disturb  him.  My  first  impulse  was  to  retreat  without 
speaking  ;  then  I  thought  better  of  it,  and  resolved  that 
this  should  be  our  good-by,  for  I  knew  I  should  have  no 
other  opportunity  of  seeing  him  alone. 

I  made  my  way  quietly  to  his  side.  Still  he  did  not 
move.  Putting  out  my  hand,  I  touched  his  arm. 

He  started  violently,  and  turned  his  face  towards  me 
without  otherwise  changing  his  position.  He  looked  as 


260  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

if  tortured  by  some  physical  pain  ;  his  face  was  so  hag- 
gard and  drawn  that  involuntarily  I  tightened  my  grasp 
on  his  arm. 

His  eyes  gazed  into  mine  for  a  moment  with  a  wistful 
expression  which  hurt  me,  then  dropped  to  my  hand. 
Slowly  he  put  out  his  hand  and  took  mine  into  its  clasp, 
turned  away  from  the  mantel,  and  made  a  movement 
with  his  lips  as  if  he  would  have  spoken.  Seeing  how 
impossible  it  was  for  him,  I  took  the  initiative,  and  said, 
in  a  voice  which  I  hardly  recognized  as  my  own,  — 

"  I  came  —  to  —  to  —  see  how  the  —  room  —  the 
room  would  look." 

This  profound  remark  met  with  no  response.  Being 
senseless,  however,  it  was  harmless,  and  broke  the  spell 
which  silence  had  cast  upon  us. 

George  held  my  hand  in  his,  and  looked  at  it  tenderly, 
almost  reverently,  for  a  moment.  Then  he  quietly  let 
it  drop,  and  I  held  it  in  front  of  me,  and  surveyed  it 
stupidly  myself,  as  if  to  discover  some  new  line  in  it. 

Finally  he  spoke,  in  a  deep,  earnest  tone. 

"  Have  you  arranged  it  with  Thurber  ? " 

"  No,"  I  answered,  turning  my  face  up  to  his ;  "  there 
has  been  no  opportunity." 

"  You  will  let  me  hear  it  in  some  way  when  it  is  de- 
cided ? " 

"  Yes,"  I  said  in  a  half  whisper. 

"  I  shall  see  you  at  the  station  to-morrow,  and  then 
you  will  go  away  with  him,"  George  continued  thought- 
fully. 

He  put  his  hands  behind  him,  and  leaned  against  the 
mantel. 


THE  BLACK   WINTER.  261 

"  Ah,  well !  "  he  cried,  with  a  forced  laugh,  "  in  a 
month  I  shall  wonder  at  myself  for  this  infatuation  ;  and 
you,  —  you  will  have  dropped  me  completely  out  of 
your  life  !  " 

"  Don't  laugh  in  that  way ! "  I  cried  impetuously,  put- 
ting out  my  hand.  "  Don't !  " 

He  looked  at  me  searchingly. 

"  Poor  little  Dorris !  "  said  he  tenderly.  "  You  are 
sorry  tor  me.  You  show  it  in  your  sad  eyes  and  your 
quivering  mouth.  You  are  very  good  and  patient  with 
me.  I  have  brought  only  sadness  into  your  life,"  he 
added  dismally,  still  looking  at  me  as  if  he  meant  to 
impress  every  feature  on  his  mind. 

Sorry  for  him  !  He  little  knew  what  it  was  that  was 
filling  my  small  soul  with  agony.  This  demon  which 
was  pulling  at  my  heart-strings  was  love,  —  love  for  him. 
Like  a  flash  of  lightning  the  knowledge  burst  upon  me. 
I  had  been  blind  before,  but  it  was  written  before  me  in 
letters  of  fire  at  that  instant,  and  I  could  not  choose 
but  read  it.  Sorry  for  him  !  Yes,  —  overwhelmed  with 
anguish  for  him  and  for  myself.  Oh,  for  courage  to  tell 
him  that  I  loved  him,  that  my  promise  counted  for 
nothing  in  my  own  heart,  and  that  I  should  die  if  he 
sent  me  away ! 

But  I  could  not  say  it.  He  had  not  dreamed  of  such 
a  thing,  and  I  could  not  confess  it. 

Presently  he  put  his  hand  gently  up,  and  touched  my 
cheek. 

"  I  have  made  you  cry  again,"  he  said,  in  the  same 
low,  sad  voice.  "  I  wish  you  would  not  cry." 


262  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

My  only  answer  was  a  long-drawn,  quivering  sob. 

"  Oh,  hush,  my  darling,  hush  !  "  he  whispered,  turning 
his  head  away  from  me.  "  You  break  my  heart." 

As  I  look  back  now,  I  could  kill  myself  for  being  such 
a  coward.  Why  did  I  not  confess  the  truth  ?  What 
foolish  pride  was  it  which  sealed  my  lips  ? 

The  silence  which  fell  upon  us  seemed  to  last  for 
hours  ;  but  in  reality  it  could  only  have  been  a  few  min- 
utes before  George  turned  to  me  and  said  quietly,  — 

"  You  had  better  go  now.     They  will  miss  you." 

"  But  this  is  good-by,"  I  cried  brokenly,  the  tears  fall- 
ing like  rain  from  my  eyes  as  I  lifted  them  imploringly 
to  him.  "  Must  I  go  away  from  you  like  this  ?  " 

He  looked  at  me  strangely  for  an  instant ;  then,  with 
an  infinite  tenderness,  he  put  his  arms  round  me  and 
drew  me  to  his  heart.  Very  quietly  he  lifted  my  face  to 
his,  and  kissed  me  twice  on  the  lips.  It  would  have 
been  easy  for  me  to  tell  him  the  truth  then.  My  eyes 
sought  his,  to  find  there  some  encouragement  for  the 
confession  which  I  was  about  to  make,  but  all  his  calm- 
ness suddenly  vanished ;  he  turned  away  from  me,  cry- 
ing,— 

"  Leave  me,  child !     I  can  bear  no  more  !  " 

I  waited  in  silence  for  him  to  speak  to  me  again.  In 
vain :  he  stood  by  the  chimney  in  the  same  position  in 
which  I  had  found  him,  and  no  marble  statue  could 
have  been  more  quiet. 

While  I  still  hesitated,  my  cheeks  burning  and  my 
heart  beating  tumultuously,  a  voice  called,  "  Dorris  !  " 

Other  voices  followed.     I  lingered  for  an  instant,  but 


THE  BLACK   WINTER.  263 

George  did  not  stir.     Grace  continued  to  call  me,  and 
at  last  I  walked  slowly  out  of  the  room. 

Now  that  I  am  alone,  and  can  think  it  over  calmly,  I 
have  no  words  strong  enough  to  express  my  disgust  at 
my  own  folly.  To  think  that  I,  Dorris  Romilly,  should 
be  in  love  !  Worse  still,  desperately  in  love,  —  in  love 
as  I  never  dreamed  was  possible  for  me.  And  then 
that  I  should  have  been  such  an  arrant  coward  as  to 
lose  my  opportunity,  and  ruin  all  my  chances  of  happi- 
ness. For,  of  course,  I  cannot  go  calmly  to  Count 
Piloff,  and  tell  him  that  I  would  like  to  marry  him ; 
nor  can  I  write  it  to  him.  I  shall  never  see  him  alone 
again,  and  he  will  always  think  I  care  for  Chilton 
Thurber.  I  see  nothing  bright  in  any  direction,  and 
if  it  were  not  foolish  and  useless,  I  should  wish  my- 
self dead. 

IN  THE  TRAIN,  Saturday  Night. 

It  is  a  relief  to  have  said  good-by,  and  not  to  feel  that 
it  is  still  a  black  cloud  in  the  future.  The  saying  of  it, 
and  the  actual  departure,  were  not  so  painful  as  the  two 
days  which  preceded,  when  I  could  think  of  nothing 
else. 

If  it  were  not  for  Mr.  Thurber's  presence,  which  con- 
stantly reminds  me  of  the  explanation  I  must  have  with 
him,  I  could  find  it  in  my  heart  to  be  almost  cheerful. 
Tom  unconsciously  brightened  us  this  morning  by  his 
mishaps.  In  the  first  place,  he  got  very  much  excited 
over  the  loss  of  his  umbrella.  Then,  when  he  entered 
the  car,  he  gave  his  head  a  smart  knock  against  the  side 


264  THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

of  the  door,  in  his  attempts  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  a 
fat  gentleman  with  a  quantity  of  bags.  Tom's  hat  was 
utterly  demolished.  He  was  such  a  comical  object  that 
we  were  obliged  to  laugh  every  time  we  looked  at  him  ; 
so  our  departure  was  less  melancholy  than  it  might  have 
been. 

As  our  train  moved  away,  Alice,  Nicolas,  and 
George,  all  stood  on  the  platform,  smiling ;  and  I 
hardly  realized  that  I  was  taking  my  last  look  at  them 
for  many  years. 

Tom  said,  almost  before  we  were  out  of  the 
city,  — 

"  What  a  relief  to  get  out  of  that  climate  !  For  three 
weeks  I  have  walked  knee-deep  in  mud ;  and  I  have  not 
seen  the  sun  for  so  long  that  I  believe  I  should  be  daz- 
zled if  he  were  to  appear." 

"  Yes,"  assented  Judith ;  "  and  the  earth,  sky,  and 
buildings  have  all  been  such  a  dull  color." 

I  listened  in  silence,  looking  out  of  the  window  to 
hide  the  desolation  which  I  feared  my  eyes  would  be- 
tray. 

They  were  all  glad  to  get  away  !  Mr.  Thurber  said 
nothing,  for  which  I  felt  grateful  to  him. 

The  interminable  marshy  waste,  which  was  all  our 
eyes  had  to  dwell  upon,  seems  to  encompass  St.  Pe- 
tersburg for  hundreds  of  miles.  It  is  inexpressibly 
dreary.  Judith  is  in  excellent  spirits,  and  no  one  ap- 
pears to  notice  me.  Mr.  Thurber,  however,  watches 
me  stealthily.  The  consciousness  of 'this  helps  me  to 
exercise  my  self-control. 


THE  BLACK   WINTER.  26$ 

WARSAW,  Monday. 

We  arrived  last  night,  in  a  pouring  rain.  I  went  to 
bed  as  soon  as  we  reached  the  hotel ;  therefore,  all  I 
know  of  the  city  is  that  the  pavements  are  passable,  and 
the  buildings  large. 

We  drove  from  the  station  in  two  carriages.  Judith 
and  Torn  took  all  the  bags,  and  started  before  us  at  a 
rattling  pace,  looking  triumphantly  back  at  us  as  we 
plodded  on  more  soberly. 

Presently  we  overtook  our  friends,  with  only  three 
wheels  on  their  carriage,  and  Tom  climbing  ignomini- 
ously  out  of  the  upper  door !  They  reached  the  hotel 
in  a  very  muddy  state,  some  time  after  us.  Nothing 
could  put  either  of  them  out  of  temper,  however,  and 
Judith  only  sighed  as  she  examined  the  injuries  her  hat 
had  received. 

This  morning  dawned  doubtfully,  but  soon  decided  to 
be  showery.  It  seems  to  be  an  impossibility  for  the  sun 
to  shine  in  Russia  at  this  season.  If  I  could  get  a 
glimpse  of  God's  clear  blue  sky,  I  am  sure  that  this 
dull  weight,  which  has  lain  on  my  heart  for  so  long, 
would  be  lifted. 

"  I  am  going  out,"  Tom  announced,  "  and  if  you 
wish  to  see  the  town,  you  had  better  all  come  with 
me." 

"  Will  you  wait  until  after  breakfast  ? "  I  suggested 
mildly. 

Tom  looked  at  me  critically. 

"  Dorris,  you  are  ill !  Why  don't  you  confess  it,  and 
give  up  ?  " 


266  THE   TSAR'S   WINDOW. 

All  eyes  were  upon  me  by  this  time,  and  I  endeavored 
to  laugh  as  I  said  that  I  was  well  enough. 

"  Only,"  I  added,  "  these  Polish  beds  are  peculiar, 
and  probably  I  did  not  sleep  as  well  as  you  did." 

Tom  forgot  me  for  an  instant,  as  his  thoughts  turned 
to  his  favorite  grievance. 

"  I  hardly  slept  a  wink  last  night,"  he  insisted. 

"  You  do  look  ill,  Dorris,"  interrupted  Grace.  "  I 
advise  you  to  stay  in  the  house  and  rest." 

Staying  in,  I  feared,  meant  a  tete-a-tete  with  Chilton 
Thurber,  which  I  did  not  feel  strong  enough  to  undergo, 
so  I  insisted  upon  accompanying  Tom.  He  apparently 
expected  to  meet  some  of  the  descendants  of  that 
Thaddeus  about  whom  he  used  to  read,  and  as  his 
expectations  were  not  realized,  he  pronounced  Warsaw 
a  failure. 

"  Certainly,  the  glory  has  departed  from  Poland,"  Mr. 
Thurber  remarked,  as  we  passed  some  of  the  forts, 
which  were  manned  by  Russian  soldiers.  "  Even  the 
old  palace  of  the  kings  is  inhabited  by  the  Russian 
governor-general." 

We  went  into  some  shops.  They  pretended  not  to 
understand  Mr.  Thurber's  Russian,  although  that  is  the 
language' in  which  everything  is  taught  in  the  schools, 
instruction  being  given  in  Polish  as  a  foreign  tongue. 

The  town  is  shabby.  We  wondered  what  part  of  it 
was  inhabited  by  the  elite. 

"  The  Polish  aristocracy,"  Mr.  Thurber  informed  us, 
"  has  disappeared.  No  one  knows  exactly  what  has 
become  of  the  old  families.  Many  of  them  have  emi- 


THE  BLACK   WINTER.  267 

grated.  The  fashionable  foreigners  who  have  taken  up 
their  residence  here  live  on  the  Champs  Elyse'es,  through 
which  we  are  about  to  drive." 

It  proved  to  be  a  very  beautiful  avenue,  with  one  road 
in  it  for  driving,  one  for  equestrians,  and  two  for  foot 
passengers,  shaded  by  magnificent  trees. 

Thence  we  went  to  what  was  once  the  summer  palace 
of  the  kings,  but  is  now  used  by  the  governor-general 
for  a  residence  during  part  of  the  year.  There  is  a 
charming  little  out-of-door  theatre  connected  with  this 
palace.  The  stage  is  on  the  shore  of  a  lovely  lake,  and 
seats  for  the  audience  are  on  the  opposite  shore. 

Altogether  the  day  has  been  a  busy  one.  Now  night 
has  come,  and  I  am  sitting  alone  in  the  dingy  parlor, 
which  looks  out  on  the  muddy  street. 

The  others  have  gone  to  the  theatre.  I  pleaded 
fatigue,  and  induced  them  to  leave  me.  The  two  flick- 
ering candles  cast  but  a  pale  light  on  my  page,  and  I 
shall  be  obliged  to  give  up  writing.  Then  there  will  be 
nothing  for  me  to  do  but  to  think. 

Tuesday  Morning. 

A  faint  streak  of  sunlight  makes  its  way  in  at  my 
window,  and  there  is  a  blinding  glow  in  my  heart. 
What  have  I  done  to  deserve  all  this? 

Last  night,  as  I  closed  my  journal,  and  sat  in  that 
comfortless  room,  waiting  for  something,  I  knew  not 
what,  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door.  Following  my 
permission  to  enter,  the  door  opened,  and  Chilton  Thurber 
appeared. 


268  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

My  heart  sank,  for  I  thought  he  had  come  for  my 
answer ;  but  I  spoke  with  a  brave  voice,  which  did  not 
betray  my  fluttering  heart. 

"  How  is  this  ?     I  thought  you  were  at  the  theatre." 

"  So  I  was,"  he  responded,  drawing  one  of  the  hard, 
uncomfortable  chairs  nearer  the  table,  and  throwing  him- 
self into  it  opposite  me.  "  I  told  them  I  would  come  home 
and  see  how  you  were ;  for  we  were  talking  of  you,  and  of 
our  fears  that  you  were  more  ill  than  you  would  confess." 

"  That  was  kind  of  you,"  I  said  absently. 

"  I  had  something  to  say  to  you,  also,"  he  continued, 

—  "a  statement  to  make,  for  which  I  have  been  watch- 
ing my  opportunity." 

"  Yes,"  I  said  faintly,  "  I  know." 

"  I  fancy  that  you  do  not  know.  You  have  quite  a 
different  idea  from  mine." 

I  looked  at  him  inquiringly ;  but  his  face  was  as  im- 
passive as  a  block  of  wood,  and  instead  of  a  pair  01  eyes 
I  encountered  an  eyeglass  which  contorted  one  side  of 
the  face,  and  on  which  the  light  made  bewildering  re- 
flections. 

"I  think,"  he  went  on,  "that  you  are  in  some  trouble, 

—  trouble  of  mind.     I  take  strange  fancies  sometimes  ; 
and  if  I  am  wrong,  you  must  set  me  right.     But  the  sus- 
picion has  entered  my  mind  that  possibly  your  suffering 
comes  from  your   reluctance  to  tell  me  that  you  have 
failed  to  succeed,  while  I  have  been  away,  in  your  effort 
to  care  for  me.     I   am  impelled  by  some  strange  in- 
stinct —  or,  call  it  reason,  if  you  like  —  to  tell  you  that 
I  read  the  death-blow  to  my  hopes  when  1  had  been  with 


THE  BLACK   WINTER.  269 

you  ten  minutes.  I  may  say,"  he  added  thoughtfully, 
"  that  my  hopes  began  to  die  the  moment  I  saw  you. 
You  are  spared  the  difficult  task  of  telling  me.  So  there 
is  an  end  of  it,"  —  leaning  on  the  table  which  stood  be- 
tween us,  and  dropping  his  glass  with  a  clatter,  while  he 
fixed  a  pair  of  piercing  eyes  on  me.  "  You  cannot  love 
me  :  I  must  learn  to  get  on  without  you  ;  and  that  was 
the  reason  I  joined  your  party.  Instead  of  running 
away  from  you,  as  most  men  would  have  done,  I  am  de- 
termined to  live  it  down  while  I  am  with  you  ;  to  see  you 
hour  by  hour,  and  say  mentally,  '  She  is  not  for  me '  — 
and  some  time  "  (there  was  a  slight  tremor  in  the  voice, 
but  only  for  a  second)  "  some  time  to  feel  contented  that 
it  should  be  so.  I  like  to  be  peculiar.  I  am  rather 
proud,  do  you  know,  of  following  a  course  of  action  which 
most  people  would  have  shunned." 

This  he  said  in  his  pleasant,  ordinary  voice ;  then 
went  on  more  earnestly  :  — 

"  I  should  not  have  acted  on  my  determination,  if  I 
had  had  the  faintest  suspicion  that  my  presence  would  be 
painful  to  you.  I  have  vainly  sought  an  opportunity  of 
explaining  this  to  you ;  for  your  suffering  has  been  so 
apparent  that  I  have  regretted  my  decision  more  than 
once.  It  seems  to  me  now,"  he  added,  never  taking  his 
eyes  off  my  face,  "that  there  must  be  some  further  cause 
for  your  sadness;  else  you  are  morbidly  exaggerating  the 
pain  you  would  give  me,  or  the  difficulty  of  the  task  I 
have  spared  you.  If  my  suspicions  are  correct,  —  if 
you  are  in  any  trouble,  —  you  should  know  that  there  is 
no  one  in  the  world  who  will  help  you  more  willingly  than 


2/0  THE   TSAR'S    WINDOW. 

I ;  and  perhaps,"  he  went  on  more  carelessly,  "  there 
is  no  one  who  can  so  easily  put  things  right." 

Very  impulsively  I  hurried  around  the  shabby  old 
table,  and  stood  before  my  companion,  with  my  hands 
tightly  locked  together  in  front  of  me. 

"  You  thought  all  this !  "  I  cried  rapidly,  my  eyes 
growing  larger,  and  a  hot  flush  spreading  over  my  face. 
"  You  really  mean  it  ?  You  are  a  man,  like  other  men, 
and  you  —  "  Here  I  felt  that  I  was  becoming  ridicu- 
lous ;  and  I  restrained  the  torrent  of  words  which  was 
ready  to  flow,  and  stood  still,  breathing  very  quickly,  and 
trembling  from  head  to  foot. 

Mr.  Thurber  looked  slightly  embarrassed,  and  put  in 
his  glass,  with  a  grimace. 

"  I  have  no  words  to  tell  you,"  I  went  on  more  calmly, 
"of  the  dreadful  state  I  have  been  in,  and  now  by  a 
few  words  you  have  made  me  so  happy.  Oh  !  "  I  cried, 
growing  excited  again,  "  is  it  really  as  you  say  ?  You 
are  indeed  the  best  man  I  ever  knew.  How  little  you 
realize  what  you  are  doing  for  me  !  " 

He  had  started  to  his  feet  before ;  now  he  leaned 
carelessly  on  the  back  of  his  chair,  and  shook  his  head 
at  me. 

"  You  are  too  much  excited  "  (in  a  tone  of  remon- 
strance). "  You  will  make  yourself  ill." 

For  the  first  time  in  a  week,  a  hearty,  natural  laugh 
broke  from  my  lips.  While  the  sound  of  it  was  yet  in 
my  ears,  the  door  was  quietly  opened,  and  a  third  per- 
son stood  before  us.  He  glanced  from  one  of  us  to  the 
other.  I  dropped  into  a  chair,  for  I  could  not  stand. 


THE  BLACK   WINTER.  2? I 

George  came  up  to  us,  smiling. 

"  You  don't  appear  to  be  glad  to  see  me." 

"  We  are  only  paralyzed  with  astonishment,"  returned 
Mr.  Thurber. 

"  And  delight,"  I  added,  trying  to  speak  lightly. 

"  How  in  the  name  of  all  that  is  surprising  did  you 
get  here  ? " 

"  By  train.  Tom  left  his  umbrella-case,  and  I  started 
with  it  the  next  day.  But  where  are  they  all  ? "  (casting 
a  searching  glance  about  the  room). 

"  At  the  theatre,"  responded  Mr.  Thurber,  "  where  I 
ought  to  be ;  but  I  came  back  because  —  "  He  hesitated, 
then  took  up  his  hat,  and,  gazing  into  the  crown,  added 
thoughtfully,  "  I  never  could  say  that  all  over  again, 
you  know,  so  I  leave  you  to  tell  him  why  I  came  back, 
Miss  Dorris.  I  particularly  wish  him  to  know." 

"  But  you  are  not  going  to  run  away  the  moment  I 
arrive,"  George  remonstrated. 

"  Sorry  to  do  so,"  returned  the  other,  "  but  they  will 
think  it  odd  if  I  don't  come  back." 

"  They  will  think  it  much  more  odd  for  me  to  be  too 
tired  to  go  to  the  theatre,  and  then  to  entertain  two 
gentlemen  at  home." 

George  looked  uncertain.  Mr.  Thurber  started  hastily 
for  the  door,  saying,  — 

"  Be  sure  you  tell  him,  Miss  Dorris  " ;  and  before  I 
could  reply  he  was  gone. 

There  was  an  awkward  pause,  and  then  George 
said,  — 

"I  never  did  such  an  absurd  thing  in  my  life  as 


272 


THE    TSAR'S    WINDOW. 


to  follow  you  here.  But  the  longing  to  see  you  was 
stronger  than  I  was.  I  could  not  get  your  face  out  of 
my  mind  as  you  looked  that  night  in  the  library.  I  — 
oh,  what  must  you  think  of  me  !  "  he  cried,  lingering  in 
the  shadowy  part  of  the  room. 

I  could  not  trust  myself  to  speak  for  a  moment ;  then 
I  told  him,  as  coldly  as  I  could,  what  had  taken  place 
between  Mr.  Thurber  and  me. 

When  I  had  finished,  he  sank  into  a  chair,  and  buried 
his  face  in  his  hands. 

"  O  Dorris,"  he  groaned,  "  do  not  mislead  me ! 
There  is  a  ray  of  hope  shining  upon  me.  Don't  be  cruel 
enough  to  put  it  out !  " 

I  knelt  down  by  his  side  and  drew  his  hand  away. 

"George,"  I  said,  with  quivering  lips,  "how  could 
you  be  so  unkind  to  me  as  to  tell  me  I  must  marry  him 
when  I  loved  you  all  the  time  ? " 

Judith  says,  with  a  mischievous  face,  — 
"  What,  Dorris  !  a  foreigner  ? " 


*.*.- 


;*•'* 

v  .«-» ;  :••'••-,  :r£    :-r-^    '     .  -,- 


UCLA-Young  Research  Library 

PS2949   .S88t 

y 


L  009  539  215  5 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


•     ••      •••      ••     in      I   I    |     |        II     |  | 

AA    001  235  874    3 


